MILWAUKEE — Dorian Finney-Smith’s left calf contusion is instantly associated to his earlier sprained ankle, an damage he admitted he made worse by pushing by way of it.
That’s why the Nets are defending their ahead from himself, sitting him for a 3rd straight recreation in Thursday’s 111-105 win in Milwaukee.
“Yeah, nothing happened. It was discomfort, and obviously, we’re not going to force it,” head coach Jordi Fernandez mentioned. “We want him to be 200 percent, and he was disappointed because he was so excited to play. And he really wants to help the guys. And he still does it, like you said, with his voice. I’m pretty sure he’ll do his best. But again, we’ll assess [Friday], and we’ll see where he’s at.”
The Nets host the Spurs Friday at Barclays Middle.
“I’ve been trying to get out there, but I’ve been playing through injuries, kind of messing it up, making it worse a little bit. But I’ll be all right,” mentioned Finney-Smith, who’d initially proclaimed himself match to play following morning shootaround.
“Same ankle, which kind of ran up my calf, changed the way I ran. You know your body adjusts to pain, so I started running a little different. So it started causing me to irritate my calf. I’ll be all right. I’ve just got to be smarter, listen to my body sometime. … Anybody that plays in the NBA, ankle problems last for a long time, and they always seem like you’re going to keep re-twisting the same ankle because it’s weak. But no, I don’t think it’s that serious, though. But it’s a long season.”
The preliminary ankle damage price Finney-Smith back-to-back video games in mid-November, then after returning, pressured him to overlook six of seven.
“I just want him to be excited to play, which he’s always excited to play. He’s a vet. He’s a pro,” Fernandez mentioned. “But also I want him 200 percent, otherwise he’ll give it to you. And sometimes you’ve got to save him from himself. It’s good to have him on the court, and obviously, we don’t want him to miss games, so we’ll do whatever it takes to take care of his body.”
the Bucks on Dec. 26. NBAE by way of Getty Photos
Finney-Smith was linked with the Grizzlies in commerce rumors.
Marc Stein reported the Nets are fascinated about Memphis’ John Konchar.
He’s beginning a three-year, $18.5 million deal and might be mixed with Luke Kennard’s $9.25 million expiring deal to wage match Finney-Smith. Brooklyn would search picks as nicely.
Fernandez mentioned Ben Simmons would possibly play Friday at dwelling vs. the Spurs.
“His minutes have increased, and then I’m going to keep that to myself right now. See how he feels, and then he may or may not play based on what the norm has been with his back-to-backs,” Fernandez mentioned. “He’s done a great job. We need his pace. We need his defense. We need his rebounding. And we’ll assess for sure.”
Noah Clowney hit a career-high six 3-pointers.
Fernandez acquired a jersey from Barcelona star Dani Olmo after the win. It might make for an early birthday present, with the Nets coach turning 42 on Friday.
