The Brooklyn Nets did what was necessary and traded an unhappy James Harden (and Paul Millsap) to the Sixers in exchange for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond. There’s been a lot of anticipation surrounding Simmons but Curry’s been overlooked in the process. His role is going to increase especially if Joe Harris doesn’t return to the court this season.
Harris sprained his left ankle in a game against Oklahoma City on Nov. 14 and he underwent surgery two weeks later to remove a bone particle. He was expected to return within four-to-eight weeks but that was over 11 weeks ago.
There’s been a lack of communication regarding Harris’ rehab from the team. Chris Haynes reported that Harris traveled to Indianapolis to receive a second opinion on his ankle on Jan. 24. Mark Bartelstein, the guard’s agent, told ESPN on Feb. 3 that there was a chance that Harris would have to undergo a second surgery.
A week later, Curry’s addition to the Nets’ roster became official. Brooklyn hasn’t given a clear answer on Harris’ condition and if he ends up being out for the rest of the year, Curry will have to play a greater role than what was originally expected.
Seth Curry was SOLID in his Nets debut 🔥 pic.twitter.com/q6amGP845S
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 15, 2022
Will Seth Curry be able to replace Joe Harris for the Brooklyn Nets?
Ideally, we want both Curry and Harris to be available for the playoffs but it honestly doesn’t seem like that’ll be the case.
Harris travels with the Nets on their road trips but according to Nash, Harris has only participated in “light court work.”
Before Brooklyn faced New York on Wednesday night, Nash gave an update on Harris. He said:
"“He’s doing a lot of rehab work off the court, and then he does a little bit of court work,” the Nets head coach said. “I’m not exactly sure how intense he can take it right now, but I do know that he’s doing some light court work.”"
The chance of Harris returning to the lineup sometime soon after the All-Star break seem slim and that’s if he returns at all. The Nets haven’t been transparent about his status either, which makes the situation even more discouraging.
Adrian Wojnarowski reported that there’s hope that Harris will be able to return to practice after the break.
Luckily, Brooklyn will be able to rely on Curry in the meantime.
After Curry’s 23-point performance in his debut, he shot 6-of-9 from the 3-point line in a 111-106 win over the Knicks. In his first three games with the Nets, he shot an average of 51.4% from beyond the arc.
In the worst-case scenario, an increased amount of pressure will be put on both Curry and Patty Mills to lead Brooklyn from the 3-point line in the playoffs. Both have proven that they’d be able to rise to the challenge but it’d still be tough to be without the franchise’s leader in made 3-pointers.
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