Nets guard Cam Thomas suffered a left hamstring pressure final month and was anticipated to be re-evaluated when the workforce returned from its six-game West Coast swing.
Brooklyn hosted the Knicks at Barclays Middle on Tuesday after a 1-5 journey that featured losses to the Nuggets, Jazz, Clippers, Lakers and Thunder. Chatting with reporters forward of the sport, head coach Jordi Fernandez supplied minor updates on Thomas’ standing, however didn’t affirm when he’ll return to the courtroom.
“[He’s] just [doing] on-court activities with no contract,” Fernandez mentioned. “He’s done a great job. Everything looks good.”
Thomas, 23, missed his tenth straight recreation on Tuesday. He’s performed in simply two video games since Nov. 27 due to hamstring strains. Brooklyn entered the night time 6-18 this season with out its main scorer on the courtroom.
Within the 19 video games Thomas has performed on this season, he’s averaged 24.7 factors, 3.6 rebounds and three.4 assists per recreation whereas capturing 44.8% from the sphere and 37.5% from the 3-point line. His efficient discipline objective proportion of 52.8 is a career-best.
A RIVALRY RENEWED
The Nets confronted the Knicks for the third time this season on Tuesday. They misplaced each video games in opposition to them at Madison Sq. Backyard again in November. It was additionally Mikal Bridges first time again at Barclays Middle since final summer season’s commerce.
“So, Mikal was part of our club, not he’s not, so he’s the enemy,” Fernandez mentioned. “But I have a lot of respect for him. Very good player… Obviously this is a rivalry. We want to beat them the same way they want to beat us. And all those rivalries are great for both clubs, great for basketball, but we have to do it obviously, respectfully.”
The Nets will host the Knicks once more of their season finale on April 13. Till then, Tom Thibodeau’s workforce will proceed to evolve.
“[They’re] a team that’s been efficient at both ends, very efficient offensively, but they rank higher,” Fernandez mentioned. “But we all know at every position, they have size and physicality. So, handling their physicality is going to be a challenge for us, especially off the ball… They’re growing like every other NBA team, through experience, through playing together, and I can see it from the outside.”
TRADE DEADLINE INCHING CLOSER
The NBA commerce deadline is on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 3 p.m. ET. The Nets have already dealt Dennis Schröder, Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton to completely different groups, and up to date experiences counsel that Cam Johnson might be subsequent.
Some say that nobody on Brooklyn’s roster is secure. Throughout this stretch of uncertainty, Fernandez mentioned the group has continued to lean on transparency.
“We’ve been open with our communication if they have any questions about anything going on,” Fernandez mentioned. “As you guys know, whatever is said in the media, it is what it is. Those are things that players cannot control. It’s part of the business. We love our guys, and we want them here. If something changes and has to be communicated, we will, like we’ve done in the past. We’ve been transparent and clear, and it’s worked very well so far.”
