And they’re back!
The All-Star break came and went with little to be overly excited about during the time off. Bojan Bogdanovic was waived and Killian Hayes was signed to a 10-day deal. Otherwise, it was about as uneventful as the All-Star Game.
The Nets enter the “second half” of the season with a 20-34 record, yet they’re only 1.5 games away from a play-in spot. This is where things get tricky for a tanking team in the East — they aren’t good on paper but they aren’t bad enough to be a bottom-feeder in such a horrid conference. That’s not mentioning how good this upcoming draft looks, and how teams are likely to call it quits versus playing limbo.
The Nets are somewhere in between… for now. Cleveland should do the pro-tankers a favor, but you truly never know with this team.
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FEAR THE SWORD | NETS: 20-34
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Opponent: Cleveland Cavaliers (44-10)
Tune In: YES Network; WFAN Radio
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Game Preview | Brian Fleurantin
Injury Report: No Cam Thomas, Noah Clowney, or DeAnthony Melton. Dariq Whitehead, Reece Beekman, and Tosan Evbuomwan will be in Long Island. Will Killian Hayes be available? We’ll find out. Big news on this front: CamT will go 5-on-5 today for the first time since he went down on January 2 with hamstring woes. Thomas has only played two games since November 27, 19 on the season.
Dean Wade (knee injury) will be out for the Cavs while Isaac Okoro (shoulder) and Ty Jerome (calf) are listed as questionable. Javonte Green, the veteran Pelicans wing, may be join the Cavs Thursday. He reached a buyout agreement with New Orleans Wednesday and is headed to Cleveland, per Shams Charania.
The Game: While you watch the game, make sure to not sleep on Brooklyn’s backcourt as they have been balling, but quietly. D’Angelo Russell has continued to be the floor general and lead guard while Cam Thomas sits out with injury. Keon Johnson has been contributing a bunch in the last 10 games, averaging 15 points in his efforts. Yes, the Cavs definitely will overmatch a Nets team without most of its roster. But at this point, you can never underestimate a Jordi Fernandez-led team.
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