MILWAUKEE — Dorian Finney-Smith's left calf contusion was directly related to a previous ankle sprain, and he admitted pushing the ankle aggravated the injury.
That's why the Nets are protecting their forward from themselves, using him for the third straight game in Thursday's 111-105 win at Milwaukee.
“Yes, nothing happened. It was unpleasant and obviously we are not going to force it,” said head coach Jordi Fernandes. “We want him to perform 200 percent, but he was disappointed because he was so excited to play and he really wants to help them. And like you said, he's still doing it vocally. I'm sure he'll do well. But I'll rate it again. [Friday]So let's see where he is. ”
The Nets will play the Spurs on Friday at Barclays Center.
“I've been trying to come out of it, and I've been playing through injuries. I've been a little out of it and made it a little bit worse. But I'm fine,” he said after the morning's shootaround. said Finney-Smith, who had initially declared himself fit to play.
“That same ankle running up my calf changed the way I ran. You know how your body adapts to pain, so I started running a little differently, so my calves became inflamed. It's okay. You just have to be smarter and listen to your body. …Anyone who plays in the NBA, it always seems like the ankle problems are going to last a long time and you're going to keep twisting the same ankle again because of a weak ankle, but no, it's not that serious. I think so. But the season is long.
The initial ankle injury caused Finney-Smith to miss back-to-back games in mid-November, and he has been forced to miss six of seven games since returning.
“I just want him to be excited to play, and he's always excited to play. He's a vet. He's a professional,” Fernandez said. “But I want him 200 percent. If he doesn't, he'll give it to you. And sometimes you have to save him from himself. It's good to be on his feet and of course we don't want him to miss any games, so we'll do whatever it takes to take care of his body.”
Bucks on December 26th. NBAE (via Getty Images)
Finney-Smith has been linked to the Grizzlies in trade rumors.
Marc Stein reported that the Nets are interested in Memphis' Jon Konchar.
He's on a three-year, $18.5 million deal, but combined with Luke Kennard's $9.25 million expiration contract, he could potentially earn a similar salary to Finney-Smith. Brooklyn will also be targeting the pick as well.
Fernandes said Ben Simmons could play at home against the Spurs on Friday.
“His minutes have increased, but I'm going to keep that to myself for now. We'll see how he feels and then he might play to his previous back-to-back standard. No, maybe not,” Fernandez said. “He's done a great job. We need his pace. We need his defense. We need his rebounding. And we definitely evaluate. Masu.”
Noah Clowney hit a career-high six 3-pointers.
Fernandes received his shirt from Barcelona star Dani Olmo after the win. The Nets coach turns 42 on Friday, so this will be an early birthday present.
