Brooklyn Nets: 3 things to watch in trip kickoff at Oklahoma City

1. Both teams hurting at the backup 4 spot

Both the Brooklyn Nets and Oklahoma City Thunder have some bench injuries to deal with Wednesday night, all at the same position.

The Nets will be without former starter Treveon Graham, who will miss his fifth straight game while dealing with a sore back.

But bigger than that was the news that DeMarre Carroll will be out with a knee injury against the Thunder.

Carroil’s transition from starter to valuable veteran reserve has been one of the underrated aspects behind the success of the Nets this season, but he hyperextended his left knee in the first half of Monday night’s win over the Detroit Pistons when Blake Griffin lost his footing after being fouled and rolled into him.

The Thunder, meanwhile, may not have veteran stretch 4 Markieff Morris, who is still dealing with lingering effect from a neck injury that shut him down for more than a month before the Washington Wizards traded him to the New Orleans Pelicans at last month’s trade deadline.

Oklahoma City was looking for a bench boost after Morris was bought out by the Pelicans, signung him to a prorated veteran’s minimum deal on Feb. 20.

In 10 games with the Thunder, he’s had trouble finding his stride, averaging 6.9 points and 4.2 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per game while shooting just 38.8 percent overall and 34.8 percent on 2.3 3-point attempts per game.

Morris was listed as questionable on Tuesday’s injury report and if he can’t go, the Thunder may have to give those minutes to another struggling veteran in Patrick Patterson. It was Patterson’s woes this season — 37.8 percent and 33.8 percent shooting — that led OKC to get Morris in the first place.

In the second half against the Pistons Monday night, Nets coach Kenny Atkinson went with veteran Jared Dudley, who had been a DNP-CD in five of Brooklyn’s previous eight games, to back up rookie Rodions Kurucs.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who has taken four DNP-CDs since Feb. 23, may also be an option, since Kurucs appears likely to draw the matchup with Thunder All-Star Paul George. Dudley is not a viable defensive option against George, but Hollis-Jefferson could be.