Speaking to reporters ahead of Wednesday’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns at Barclays Center, Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez provided a few updates on the injury front.
Forward Ziaire Williams, who did not play in Tuesday’s loss to the Knicks, is considered day-to-day with a left ankle sprain. He was ruled out of Wednesday’s game as well. There is no timeline for when he’ll return to the court.
Fellow forward Trendon Watford, who has not played since Dec. 16 because of a left hamstring strain, also remained sidelined on Wednesday. While there’s no timetable for when he’ll return, either, Fernandez said he has progressed to contact workouts.
Williams missed 12 straight games from Dec. 2 — Jan. 1 because of a left knee sprain, but did play in 10 straight from Jan. 2 — Jan. 19, where he averaged 11.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals on .424/.396/.852 splits.
Watford missed the entire preseason and the first 13 games of the regular season because of a hamstring strain. He made his 2024-25 debut against the Knicks on Nov. 17 at Madison Square Garden. He averaged 8.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 13 games off the bench this season before re-aggravating his injury against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Dec. 16.
Fernandez announced on Tuesday that Cam Thomas, who hasn’t played since Jan. 2 because of a left hamstring strain, has been doing on-court activities with no contact and “everything looks good”.
It appears that Bojan Bogdanovic, who was acquired in the Mikal Bridges trade with the Knicks last offseason, is in the same boat. He’s yet to appear in a game this season, still recovering from offseason foot surgery.
“Exactly the same as what he’s been doing — non-contact, on-court workouts,” Fernandez said of Bogdanovic. “He’s done a great job being around the team, using his voice as a leader, as a veteran. He’s doing a good job.”
SHORTHANDED AGAIN
With Williams, Watford, Thomas, Cam Johnson (right ankle sprain), Ben Simmons (illness), D’Angelo Russell (left hamstring tightness injury management) and Maxwell Lewis (left tibia fracture) all sidelined on Wednesday, the Nets were forced to face Phoenix with just nine available players.
Brooklyn had just eight available players against the Detroit Pistons on Jan. 8.
Johnson, who’s availability has been severely limited in recent weeks, injured his ankle on Nov. 25 against the Golden State Warriors. He re-injured on Jan. 2 against the Milwaukee Bucks, and unfortunately, he tweaked it again during the team’s win against the Portland Trail Blazers on Jan. 14. The forward finished both games but appeared to tweak his ankle again in Tuesday’s loss to the Knicks.
“He just jammed it a little bit… He’ll be out,” Fernandez said of Johnson’s ankle injury. “We don’t know for how long… He’s got discomfort and we’ve got to make sure we manage it so next time he’s in he can sustain it.”
The Suns played without Bradley Beal on Wednesday. Brooklyn used its 24th starting lineup of the season against Phoenix, the most through the first 45 games of a season in franchise history.
DURANT RETURNS TO BROOKLYN
Ex-Net Kevin Durant returned to Barclays Center on Wednesday for the first time in 2024-25. Fernandez and the Nets were shorthanded when they played the Suns in Phoenix on Nov. 27 but managed to control the game throughout and were able to pull off an early-season upset, 127-117.
“He’s a future hall-of-famer and that great of a player,” Fernandez said of Durant. “He presents a lot of challenges for your defense and your offense. It’s always great to play against these types of players because it challenges your team. You get to do things that have to be different and throw different coverages. The way he can score at different levels and the way he shoots the ball, and he doesn’t see who’s in front of him. His leadership, how tough mentally he is, all those things, it’s impressive at every level.”
Durant, back in his former home, had kind words to share about the Nets organization as well.
“I want to see this franchise do well,” Durant said. “What’s it 12-13 picks they got?… When you look at the big picture, you’ve got young guys getting experience, you’re building assets and getting future picks. Hopefully, you can draft up and put the team together well. I think they’re walking in the right direction.”
