The Nets are playing musical chairs to rest their worn-down players, trying to play the long game and get them all fresh when they’re needed.
Though the Nets got injured Ben Simmons back in Friday’s 120-116 win over Atlanta, they will rest him and TJ Warren on the second night of the back-to-back Saturday. They’re also hoping to see Yuta Watanabe make his comeback in Indiana.
Nic Claxton — who missed Friday’s win with a hamstring issue — is up in the air.
“Yeah, it just tightened up on [Thursday]. … So I don’t know. I just hope I’m ready to play [Saturday],” said Claxton, who added he wasn’t getting any imaging done and didn’t expect the injury to be serious. “No. It’s day to day.”
The status of Kevin Durant — who came into Friday having played the most minutes in the league and logged another 36:12 against the Hawks — is also in question. He said he hoped to face the Pacers.
“As of right now,” Durant said. “But you got to talk to Jacque [Vaughn, the Nets’ coach,] about that. … I just listen. I try to do everything. They’ve got my best interest at heart, so I just listen to what they say and go with it.”
Vaughn was noncommittal, pointing out their slate eases up after the weekend.
Simmons returned after missing the past four straight games with a strained upper left calf. With Claxton out, Simmons got the start at center and finished with six points, seven rebounds and four steals in 20:49. The Nets will be cautious and rest him on the tail end of the back-to-back at the Pacers.
Watanabe has quickly become a fan favorite for his hustle and team-first play. He’s expected back Saturday after missing the past 10 straight.
“[He brings] length, athleticism, IQ,” Durant said. “Obviously shooting the ball well but that stands out because everybody loves makes. Everybody loves to see the ball go to in the rim, but when he’s able to switch, guard guys with his length, rebound, cut to the rim.
“He does all the little things and then when he knocking down shots, that just turns into an incredible player. So we look forward to his energy. We know being out for a while in the league, you miss one or two days, it’s hard to get back in rhythm so for him to miss almost like a couple of weeks. I’m sure we all gonna be patient with him, but he’s excited to get back.”
Warren hardly looked rusty in his fourth game back.
He had 14 points off the bench on efficient 6-for-8 shooting after essentially missing two years following multiple stress fractures and a couple surgeries.
“Getting his feet up under him. He’s an efficient player, man: 6-for-8,” Durant said. “We’re over there on the bench saying like, Man, he just finds his way to the basketball, to the rim a lot, cuts, he just feels like he’s in the right position on the offensive side of the ball. And defensively, he’s good at getting into the ball, creating turnovers.
“So yeah, I mean he looked good. It’s going to get even better as he gets more comfortable and gets his legs up under him. It’s a process. But he goes 6-for-8, 14 off the bench and feel like he didn’t sweat at all. It shows how talented he is.”