Getty Brooklyn Nets wing Joe Harris handles the ball during a bout with the Atlanta Hawks.
The Brooklyn Nets have been without their key starter Joe Harris since November 12. The Nets sharpshooter suffered an ankle injury that required him to have surgery at the beginning of the season and was expected to return this year. But the date for his return has been ever-changing. And while there was initial optimism about Harris’ return this season, there is now no guarantee that he will be back.
“He’s had some flareups,” Nets head coach Steve Nash said per NetsDaily. “I’m reluctant to talk about it because I’m not a doctor, so I don’t want to say the wrong thing. But he’s had some flareups, little setbacks here and there. He’s continuing to stay positive and work on his rehab and try to overcome it.”
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Steve Nash Updates Joe Harris’ Status
Right now, the Nets could use some bodies. Harris, Kevin Durant, and the newly acquired Ben Simmons will be on the Nets’ injury report for the foreseeable future. Durant is still a few weeks away from a return, and Simmons likely will not play directly after the All-Star break. And although there is some confusion surrounding the specifics of Harris’ injury, Nash is not ready to close the door on the possibility of him returning to action this year.
“We’ll see. It’s possible,” Nash said of Harris’ return per NetsDaily. “I couldn’t say so right now.”
Harris underwent ankle surgery on November 29th. Naturally, when the Nets sharpshooter is cleared for basketball activities, he will need a ramp-up period before officially returning to action. The last time he played the makeup of the Nets was a lot different than it is currently. All-NBA guard Kyrie Irving was completely sidelined, and James Harden was still a member of the Nets. Now Kyrie is a part-time participant while Harden is no longer on the team.
“He’s doing a lot of rehab work off the court, and then he does a little bit of court work,” said Nash of Harris per NetsDaily. “So, I’m not exactly sure how intense he can take it right now. But I do know that he’s doing some light core work.”
Kevin Durant May Not Return Directly After All-star Break
Nets fans are also awaiting the return of Durant who has not played for Brooklyn since their win over the New Orleans Pelicans on January 15. Durant sprained his MCL in that game after a collision with his teammate Bruce Brown. The All-Star captain was scheduled to be out for 4-6 weeks which puts his return after the All-Star break. But Nash says that the situation is a little more complex than that.
“We’ll see, I wouldn’t expect him. Yeah, I’m not like, ‘he’s gonna play right when the break ends,’ there’s obviously a small chance, but we want to be really careful and safe with Kevin,” said Nash per NetsDaily.
“Like, a setback would be tough when we only have by whatever it is, 20 or so games left, we don’t want to jeopardize it or have a setback where he misses another six to 10 or 12 games in the 20. So, I think would be cautious coming out of the break.”
Despite all of the adversity that they have faced, the Nets are still in a playoff position at the All-Star break. But things are about to get even more tough for Brooklyn as their first three opponents are the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, and Toronto Raptors following the break.
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