The Nets are at their healthiest this season, while also facing their toughest test of the year.
The Nets announced a trip to reigning champion Boston on Friday, and Ben Simmons and Nic Claxton practiced Wednesday afternoon.
It will be interesting to see how coach Jordi Fernandes positions them.
Claxton missed the entire preseason and spent most of this season returning to a full workload, but made his first start against Memphis on Monday.
Simmons is starting at center in Claxton's place, but has not played on either end of back-to-back games and was rested Monday and Oct. 29 against Denver.
Questions have swirled around the duo and how the Nets will space the floor when both non-shooters play side-by-side, but Claxton and Simmons have logged just eight minutes. So, it's plus 12.
Trendon Watford appears to be inching closer to making his season debut.
The forward has been sidelined since injuring his hamstring early in training camp in October.
“The rest of the players are all pretty much the same. With Trendon, you'll know right away, I guess. [Thursday]. But he will be back soon,” Fernandes said.
Injured Dayron Sharpe, who turned 23 on Wednesday, took to the court after practice, working with assistant Juwan Howard.
“He's great. His spirits are high,” Cam Johnson said of Sharpe. “He's been working hard and getting ready to come back.”
Fernandez praised Sharpe's impact on morale, but declined to say when.
The backup center suffered a left hamstring strain, and the Nets announced on Oct. 7 that he would be tested in six weeks.
“There is no latest information,” Fernandez said. “He's in a really good place. He's a happy guy. He works hard. That's all I can say about him. So it's good to have his energy. Even if he Even if they aren't in the group all the time, we bring that energy. [have] He brought it to win. He spoke in front of the team. That's important to us. his voice. His good energy. ”
The Nets did not provide specific information Monday about second-year big man Noah Clowney, who was sidelined with a hip injury.
“No update. Yeah, he's good,” Fernandes said. “So I think our latest information was that the MRI was fine and he was dealing with pain. So, that was it.”
Johnson is averaging 16.6 points and is on pace to set a career high.
But he's put up 20.0 points on 53.7 percent shooting over the past three games and is consistently driving harder to the rim than at any point since arriving in Brooklyn.
