The Nets ought to relaxation Seth Curry — slightly, they need to relaxation his injured left ankle — for his or her remaining 4 common season video games.
It’s an unpopular determination given Curry’s significance to the circulation of the Nets offense, however it should occur. The efficiency workers should prioritize Curry’s sustained availability for the playoffs slightly than danger his well being in common season video games.
However they’re video games the Nets must win. In the event that they end the common season tenth within the East, they're one loss away from playoff elimination and may end no larger than the eighth seed. If the Nets are in a position to win out, they may be capable to claw their approach into seventh or eighth place, which might clearly be preferable: It will be a win-and-in sport for the No. 7 seed, and a cushion to lose at the very least one sport within the play-in earlier than dealing with elimination.
With 4 video games remaining for all three groups, the Nets are tied with the Hornets in ninth, a sport behind the Hawks. They maintain the tiebreaker in opposition to the Hawks however not the Hornets; the Hornets would additionally win a three-way tie after the Nets’ letdown loss in Atlanta on Saturday.
Which makes Curry’s gimpy ankle way more of a difficulty. He’s the one lights-out shooter not named Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving out there on the Nets roster with Joe Harris out for the season after present process a second surgical procedure on his personal ankle. The Nets are a a lot better workforce with him on the ground, however Curry conceded to enjoying via a big quantity of ache on the ankle. If he injures it in one among these common season video games, you may kiss him goodbye for a very good chunk of the playoffs.
“That’s the place we’re in is can we attempt to sit him? Does him sitting for per week assist? Or is he proper again in the identical boat in any case?” Nash stated. “And the way essential is it for us to attempt to creep up into the seven-eight spots? So we’re weighing all these issues and it’s sort of extra day by day than it's making a choice.”
Which is why they should relaxation him, and it seems they’re already doing so. The Nets dominated Curry out with left ankle soreness for a second consecutive sport on Tuesday in opposition to the Houston Rockets. It marked his sixth sport missed as a result of injured left ankle, and Curry might additionally miss his seventh within the second leg of a again to again in opposition to the Knicks on Wednesday.
Nash stated Curry was a restricted participant in Monday’s observe.
“Seth was on the market didn't do a lot right this moment,” he stated. “Simply attempting to save lots of his restoration as a lot as doable.”
He also needs to be a restricted participant the remainder of the common season.
After this upcoming Rockets-Knicks back-to-back, there are solely two extra common season video games left till Tuesday’s play-in event matchup in opposition to an opponent but to be determined: Friday in opposition to the Cavaliers and Sunday in opposition to the Indiana Pacers.
The Nets ought to be capable to deal with these video games with out their lead sharpshooter.
However Curry’s absence underscores simply how essential he's to the Nets’ offense. He's their solely dependable deep shooter, and his left ankle is suspect.
In the meantime, Patty Mills has been in a capturing droop and is not dependable from downtown.
He has been the healthiest Web this season, thus probably the most out there, and thus the minutes have piled to a profession excessive. Because of this, his legs have appeared shot and his leap pictures have been off: He's capturing simply 31.9% from downtown since Feb. 8 and simply 31.4% on wide-open threes (no defender inside six ft) since Goran Dragic made his Nets debut on Feb. 26.
For reference, Curry is capturing a hair beneath 70% on wide-open threes since his arrival in Brooklyn through the Feb. 10 James Harden commerce.
“It’s all the time good having extra choices on the offensive facet, guys that may create for themselves,” Durant stated after Monday’s observe. “That’s all the time finest to your offense, guys that may put the ball on the ground and make performs, and Seth is a kind of guys.”
Nash, for what it’s value, thinks Mills will hit his stride quickly. The veteran Australian level guard has been inclined to cold and warm streaks all season and is overdue for a breakout stretch.
“I believe greater than something Patty’s simply had a heavy load this 12 months on and off the ground, performed loads of minutes,” Nash stated. “So I believe Patty will rebound from this and be way more like himself and his finest self going ahead.”
But when Mills can’t snap out of it, the Nets’ subsequent finest choices spacing the ground are rookie Kessler Edwards, veteran guard Goran Dragic, much-improved shooter Bruce Brown, and rookie scorer Cam Thomas. None can be thought-about constant shooters besides Edwards, who's at the moment on a two-way deal and thus ineligible to take part within the playoffs.
The playoffs matter most. The Nets nonetheless consider they'll win a championship this season if they'll keep wholesome, and a big a part of that well being fluctuates every day as a consequence of Curry’s injured ankle. They have to relaxation him, and his teammates should carry the load with out him.
Solely so his ankle can have slightly extra energy after they want him most.
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