To put it simply – the Brooklyn Nets miss Joe Harris. He hasn’t played in a game since he injured his ankle on Nov. 14 against Oklahoma City. Two weeks after that, he underwent surgery on Nov. 29 and was given a 4-8 week timetable. It’s been exactly six weeks and three days since then, and things aren’t looking good.
Before Brooklyn’s game against Memphis last Monday, Steve Nash was asked about Harris’ status, to which he said that the sharpshooter was still a couple of weeks away from returning.
However, things seem to have taken a turn, and not in the direction that the Nets wanted.
On Wednesday, Nash gave an update on Harris, and it wasn’t promising.
Joe Harris still isn't fully cleared. Asked if his rehab has taken longer than the #Nets expected, Steve Nash admitted "Yeah I think it's been trickier than we thought. But if we know one thing about Joe he's going to do everything possible and be back as soon as he can." #NBA
— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) January 12, 2022
The Brooklyn Nets could be without Joe Harris for longer than expected.
Initially, it didn’t seem like Brooklyn would be in as bad of a spot without Harris, and that was because of Patty Mills. But lately, Mills has been in a slump. Since the start of 2022, he’s 12-of-41 from the 3-point line and has only scored in double figures twice.
The Nets need a spot-up shooter and that’s exactly who Harris is, but based on what Nash said, his return could take longer than the initial maximum of eight weeks.
Rest of Steve Nash quote on Joe Harris: "He's not fully cleared to do everything yet he's got to get back to that and he's got to get his high intensity stuff in so he's not there yet."
— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) January 12, 2022
Brooklyn’s struggled to score in recent games and never led against Milwaukee in a 121-109 loss on Jan. 7. In that game, the Bucks shot 35.6% (16-of-45) from the 3-point line and the Nets shot 22.2% (6-of-27).
Harris signed a four-year extension in 2020 to prevent those types of outcomes, but since he’s hurt, there’s not much that Brooklyn can do from downtown.
Nash stressed last week that the Nets aren’t going to rush Harris back from his rehab, which is imperative. Harris must take the time that he needs before returning to the game, and while this new update isn’t encouraging, it’s better than if he were to further injure himself without being fully ready to take the court again.
The team’s been in a slump to start the new year, but Brooklyn’s not in a bad spot. The Nets are still second in the East and are in the process of acclimating to Kyrie Irving being back in the lineup for road games.
There’s still a ways to go before the playoffs start in mid-April, and that’s three months away. That leaves plenty of time for Harris to return and gain back the momentum that he had before getting injured.
Don’t panic yet, Brooklyn fans. This is just a bump in the road, and while it’s not the news that we were all hoping for, it could be worse.
What would a Nets-Cavaliers Joe Harris trade look like?
According to Cleveland Cavaliers beat reporter Chris Fedor, the Cavaliers are interested in trading for Brooklyn Nets' shooter Joe Harris.