To this point, there have been only a few, fleeting instances in which we’ve gotten a clear glimpse of what the 2021 Nets are capable of when they’re fully healthy. Still, it doesn’t take long to see how dangerous Brooklyn is when it’s close to 100%.
In fact, if everything breaks right, the Nets could actually find themselves at 110% this upcoming postseason. Having a healthy Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving is paramount, of course. But what if Brooklyn also had a healthy Spencer Dinwiddie, who suffered a partially torn ACL just three games into the season? On Sunday, Nets coach Steve Nash didn’t outright dismiss that idea.
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Nash Shares Update on Dinwiddie
On the contrary, Nash said the team has a plan in place for Dinwiddie’s return. Whether that’s by the postseason — and whether he’s healthy enough to play even if he does return to the team by then — is still unclear.
“Actually, I’m not sure of that,” Nash said Saturday when asked if Dinwiddie will rejoin the Nets for the postseason even if he’s unable to play, via Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “I think there is a time when he’s gonna come back to the team, but I don’t know where that is. I know he’s still right in the thick of his rehab. He’s very dedicated, doing all the work and is ahead of schedule on all that stuff, but I’m not sure when the date is, if it’s playoffs, before the playoffs.
“But I know there is the plan for him to come back and be around the guys when he gets the bulk of his rehab done.”
The 27-year-old Dinwiddie averaged 20.6 points, 6.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 64 games for the Nets last season. Brooklyn reportedly looked to trade him ahead of the March 25 deadline, but opted not to. Dinwiddie reacted by posting a GIF:
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Dinwiddie Ahead of Schedule
As Nash noted, Dinwiddie is ahead of schedule in his rehab from knee surgery. That much is publicly known thanks to Dinwiddie himself; he regularly posts updates on social media.
Since late December, Dinwiddie has posted 25 times on his Instagram specifically about the progress of his rehab, usually using a video clip of himself working out to get across the point: He’s not ruling himself out for a return later this season.
On December 28, a day after he suffered the injury, he posted on Instagram and included a lengthy caption. Right from the start, Dinwiddie had his sights set on a relatively quick comeback.
“Now we’re here… a contact based partial ACL tear,” Dinwiddie wrote in the post’s caption. “No other structural damage, minimal swelling and cartilage intact. If anything I’m excited because I’ve made a living off beating the odds. And these odds say AT WORST I’ll be more than 100% by next season.
“Next question: Will I miss the road to a Brooklyn Nets 2021 championship? My response: As we’ve seen before. Crazier things have happened.”
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Steve Nash Reveals Surprising Update on Spencer Dinwiddie’s Potential Return to Nets