The Nets had just eight healthy players in Wednesday’s game against the Detroit Pistons at Barclays Center, the minimum allowed per NBA rules.
For starters, Day’Ron Sharpe, who finished with 16 points, 13 rebounds and five assists off the bench in Monday’s home loss to the Indiana Pacers, was ruled out against Detroit because of an illness.
“He wasn’t feeling great yesterday, and we tried to do what we could, but sometimes you just have to go through it,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “We’ll have him back soon.”
Ben Simmons missed his fourth straight game as Brooklyn continues to manage his lower back issues. And Dariq Whitehead, who was called up from the G League for Monday’s game, suffered a concussion while playing with Long Island on Wednesday.
“It’s just managing it and making sure we can take the proper steps with him,” Fernandez said of Simmons. “Obviously he’s played more than he’s played in the last two, three years and that’s a good sign… And right now, this discomfort, whatever he’s got going on with his calf that is related to managing his back, we just have to be cautious and keep working to where he can continue to play basketball, which is important to us.”
The Nets were also without Cam Thomas (left hamstring strain), Cam Johnson (right ankle sprain), D’Angelo Russell (right shin contusion), Trendon Watford (left hamstring strain) and Maxwell Lewis (left tibia fracture) against the Pistons.
Bojan Bogdanović (left foot injury recovery) has yet to appear in a game this season.
De’Anthony Melton tore his left ACL before he was traded to Brooklyn from the Golden State Warriors and is out for the rest of the season.
With that long list of inactives, Fernandez was forced to rely on Keon Johnson, Tyrese Martin, Ziaire Williams, Nic Claxton, Noah Clowney, Reece Beekman, Jalen Wilson and Tosan Evbuomwan against the Pistons.
“Just go out there and fight, because I think having the opportunity to play minutes for all these guys has to be meaningful,” Fernandez said. “And I’m never going to think, ‘I wish I had my full team’. I want to have all the guys healthy and back, but the reality is, right now we have the bodies that we have. We have to have good, positive energy and be excited to play basketball. That’s all I can focus on right now — use the guys that we have and don’t think about the ones that we don’t have.”
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Wednesday was the final home game before they embark on a six-game road trip, where they will face the Nuggets, Jazz, Trail Blazers, Clippers, Lakers and Thunder.
Those six Western Conference opponents had a combined record of 111-101 entering Wednesday’s games, with Oklahoma City leading the pack at 30-5. Cam Johnson is expected to be re-evaluated before Brooklyn departs on Thursday, and Thomas is expected to be re-evaluated when the team returns.
“That’s where we’re at right now, trying to be better than the last game,” Fernandez said. “Obviously bodies are limited at this point, but it’s exciting, because if you’re one of those players, you’re going to play a lot of minutes.”
LONG TIME, NO SEE
When the Nets play the Lakers on Jan. 17, it will be the first time they faced off against Dorian Finney-Smith since last month’s trade. The forward has averaged 7.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists in his first five appearances for Los Angeles.
The Lakers traded Russell, Lewis and three future second-round picks in 2027, 2030 and 2031 to the Nets for Finney-Smith and guard Shake Milton.
