Cam Johnson is on the verge of returning, barring a setback.
This is as healthy as the Nets have been since opening night, but the Nets will be even healthier.
“Yes, he seems to be playing well.” [Wednesday]That’s a good thing,” Brooklyn coach Jacque Vaughn said before Tuesday night’s 118-110 loss to the Celtics.
Johnson missed four consecutive games with a left adductor strain.
Initially, the injury was described as pressure, but it was later revealed.
What’s unclear is how Johnson will fit into the lineup upon his return.
The obvious position battle is with Dorian Finney-Smith at power forward, but Finney-Smith provided more rebounding and defense.
Bourne could demote Cam Thomas to a sixth-man role and provide some punch off the bench, but Thomas is the team’s second-leading scorer with 21.4 points per game.
Johnson, who could play in his return game Wednesday night in Boston, is averaging 13.9 points and shooting 45.8 percent from the field, including 40.1 percent from 3-point range.
“I always like to play,” Johnson said. “Just getting back into shape – it’s not like I was out for a long time anyway – just getting up, going down, playing a little bit… putting in different actions, defending certain things. And we just implemented the principles that we wanted to do.”
He was playing well before getting injured against Golden State, averaging 15.3 points and shooting splits of 51.2/42.3/100.0 over the past four games.
Vaughn said Ben Simmons would not play Wednesday, which was not unexpected. Simmons told reporters that his absence is purely precautionary as he is playing back-to-back games against the Nets, but he is improving physically.
“Of course,” Simmons said. “Absolutely. I’m getting there. Every day has ups and downs, but I’m continuing on the path.”
Brooklyn was without rookie first-round pick Darik Whitehead due to a stress reaction in his left shin.
However, with backup center Dayron Sharp returning from a knee hyperextension, Johnson and Whitehead are the only players missing, replicating the lineup available for the regular-season opener. Sharpe had six points and four rebounds.
Boston big man Kristaps Porzingis was listed as questionable and was sidelined with a lower back contusion.
Veteran Al Horford started in his place and scored 16 points.
Newly acquired Xavier Tillman was also absent.
Bourne cited both rebounding and failures in transition defense as two weaknesses that cost Brooklyn in its previous matchup with the Celtics, and points of emphasis in back-to-back games against the league leader.
They defended themselves on the boards as Boston had a 39-37 rebounding advantage. The Celtics outscored the Nets 14-8 in transition.
Clara Wu Tsai, wife of Nets owner Joe Tsai, met with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s family members, Dr. Martin Luther King III, during the first quarter break Tuesday night. Received the Dreamer Award from Dr. Andrea Waters King.
The Dreamer Award is presented annually to an individual whose contributions exemplify Dr. King’s vision of creating a more just and equitable world and serving others.
During the award ceremony, Wu Tsai, vice chairman of the King Family and Nets’ parent company BSE Global, called on people to participate in community service opportunities as part of the King Family’s Achieving Dreams initiative.
