Brooklyn Nets Lose Key Player For Up To 2 Months

 

Already without guard Kyrie Irving indefinitely, now the Brooklyn Nets will have to make do without their lethal backcourt marksman Joe Harris for anywhere up to two months, after ankle surgery on Monday. 

Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Harris is expected to miss four to eight weeks with ankle surgery, agent Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN. Surgery is addressing "a little bone particle" in ankle, Steve Nash said.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 29, 2021

Head coach Steve Nash says the procedure was to remove "a little bone particle" in Harris' ankle, and he will miss four to eight weeks. Harris is one of the NBA's most deadly 3-point shooters, (44% career average) so he will be missed. 

Nash, though, says Harris’ surgery is “a good thing” as it will put the injury behind him, and he should be good to go well in advance of the playoffs.

The Nets will, however, have some floor spacing issues for a while, as Nash will have to figure out how the rotation will shake out. Patty Mills has been starting in Harris' spot for the past 6 games, and he actually leads the NBA in 3-point percentage (50%) to this point in the season, so that has certainly helped. 

Others who will earn more playing time in Harris' absence include DeAndre' Bembry (who's also been starting of late), James Johnson, Bruce Brown, and even  super-scoring rookie Cam Thomas, who has torched the G League by averaging 40 points a game in his couple of appearances. And Thomas, shall we say, is not lacking for confidence, as his recent exchange with teammate Kevin Durant shows. 

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