The Nets have accumulated plenty of experience when it comes managing lower back injuries since trading for Ben Simmons a few seasons ago. Starting center Nic Claxton is now dealing with a lower back injury of his own, so that knowledge has probably been useful for the team’s medical staff in recent weeks.
Claxton was available for Friday’s game against the Orlando Magic at Barclays Center, but entered the night listed as questionable because of a lower back injury management and came off the bench. The 25-year-old was ruled out of Brooklyn’s game against the Knicks Nov. 15 because of a lower back strain and has missed five of eight games since. His injury required an epidural injection, which is never a great sign.
Speaking to reporters last week, Claxton — who signed a four-year, $100 million extension in the offseason — told reporters that he had been dealing with back issues since the summer, and that fully addressing the problem will take time. There is no telling how long it will actually take, but head coach Jordi Fernandez and his staff will continue to monitor the situation closely.
“We’re going to manage it, but the good news was that everything was clean,” Fernandez said. “We’re going to need to put in a certain kind of work in with him, but other than that, we’re very happy that he can trust the process and keep working and just be 100% as far as, like, being in shape and now having a rhythm… If Nic just keeps working — and I don’t know how many weeks — but soon enough, he’ll be the best version of himself, and that’s what we want.”
The Nets had a 4-2 record without Claxton this season entering Friday’s game. Despite the center’s limited availability, he leads the team in field goal percentage (65.3), rebounds per game (7.7), and blocks per game (1.2). He averaged 24.5 minutes per night through his first 13 appearances.
“We just need his body to be there and play those low-to-mid 30s and we will be in a very good place,” Fernandez said.
ANKLE INJURIES ARE THE WORST
Dorian Finney-Smith missed Friday’s game because of a left ankle sprain. The veteran forward has missed four of the Nets’ last nine games because of the same issue. He was seen in the locker room pregame with a walking boot. Fernandez said that Finney-Smith would have played on Friday if the decision were up to him, but it was not, and the medical staff is trying to save him from himself.
“I think that he’s a guy that will run through the wall for his teammates,” Fernandez said.
“I’m very happy with what he means for the group. He brings us together; he gives us that toughness that we need. He’s been buying into being ready and shooting the ball. And he has tough assignments because he guards the other team’s centers a lot of times, not all the times, but also a lot of good perimeter offensive players and he gets it done. At least you know he’ll fight, and it’s important for the group. But again, we need him healthy, and if we have to, we’ll save him from himself.”
WHEN CREDIT IS DUE
After a 3-1 road trip that saw the Nets defeat Sacramento, Golden State and Phoenix, many are starting to believe that general manager Sean Marks hired the right head coach in Fernandez. ESPN’s Bobby Marks recently wrote, “It doesn’t matter who the Nets roll out each night, they are organized and compete.”
Fernandez is not letting the hype get to his head. When asked about his recent praise, he remained humble, per usual.
“It’s an honor,” Fernandez said. “At the same time, I always feel like I have to do [it] the next game and for 63 more games, if my math is correct. We have to keep doing it. At the end of the day, I’m just doing my job and the ones playing are the players. That’s the way I see it. As an organization, starting from ownership to management to coaches, we have a plan in place. We all have to be stars in our roles… For me, it’s always very important to look at the next game and do it again. That’s the challenge: to keep doing it, keep having success. It’s hard in this business because the NBA is the best league in the world.”
