It’s potential — however unlikely — Kevin Durant can be able to return from his damage by the Nets’ first sport out of the All-Star break.
“We’ll see,” coach Steve Nash mentioned Wednesday earlier than the Nets confronted the Knicks at Madison Sq. Backyard. “I’m not like, ‘He’s going to play proper when the break ends.’ There’s clearly a small likelihood, however we need to be actually cautious as a result of a setback could be robust when there are 20 or so video games left.
“We don’t need to jeopardize there and have a setback the place he misses one other six to 12 video games, so I feel we’ll be cautious popping out of the break. There’s an opportunity he may play, however I feel it’s extra possible that we don’t get our hopes that he’s going to play the primary sport out of the break.”
Durant missed a sixteenth straight sport Wednesday since he sprained his left MCL. He bought damage on Jan. 15 in opposition to the Pelicans and hasn’t performed since.
The Nets will return from the break on Feb. 24 to play the Celtics.
Ben Simmons has been restricted to watching practices and shootarounds since he was acquired from the 76ers, so the Nets haven’t been in a position to assess the place his conditioning is.
“No, yeah, not but. He’s nonetheless going by means of all his assessments and his prep work with the efficiency workforce and making an attempt to evaluate this layoff and make a plan and the forming and starting steps of that plan,” mentioned Nash, likening Simmons’ scenario to a injured participant having to be cleared for contact.
“I don’t know that they’re there but, nevertheless it’ll be similar to that. He will get again on the courtroom, we proceed the evaluation course of. When he reaches obstacles, we enable extra till he’s crossed the road on all of the completely different parameters and consecutive excessive depth exercises the place our efficiency workforce trusts he’s secure sufficient not solely to carry out however recuperate and to face up to the calls for of the sport.”
If the Nets can’t assess Simmons’ conditioning, they declare they will sense his ambition simply positive.
“Yeah, I see an actual starvation from him. His demeanor and his want to have the ability to not solely get again on the ground, however make a big impression,” Patty Mills mentioned. “He’s bought a variety of hearth constructed up beneath him that has a want to get again and be the participant that he's, and even get higher and develop and develop.”
Nash seconded that evaluation of Simmons, who hasn’t performed all season, citing psychological well being points.
“He’s excited on the alternative, and he sees that he can actually be a very good match with this group and the fashion of play,” Nash mentioned. “Not solely is he hungry to play basketball once more, however he additionally sees an actual alternative to play his greatest basketball on this setting.”
Two sources near Joe Harris mentioned no resolution has been made on whether or not the wing will want a second ankle surgical procedure, however expressed optimistic enchancment on that entrance.
Nonetheless, Nash wouldn’t say the surgical procedure is off the desk.
“I feel all the things’s on the desk at this level,” Nash mentioned. “We hope that he comes again, however we don't know the place that is going to go at this level.”
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