Call them KD, Kyrie, and the Magnificent Seven – with Goran Dragic and Seth Curry back for the Nets' play-in tournament game against Cleveland Tuesday night, head coach Steve Nash said he expects his playoff rotation to be nine players, pending health.
"I think it's nine, and we'll go from there," Nash said. "We're fortunate to have Goran back, which makes nine tonight, but we'll be grateful if that continues given the pattern we've had. Excited to have nine, and hopefully Goran can get his rhythm back quickly and we can remain as healthy as possible."
Dragic missed the Nets' last five games in the NBA's Health and Safety Protocols after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier this month. Curry, meanwhile, has been hampered by an ankle sprain that caused him to miss six of the Nets' final 14, but he said on Monday he was playing and that "trainers know what it is, and it is what it is at this point."
Nash has used a starting five of Durant, Irving, Andre Drummond, and some combo of Bruce Brown, Seth Curry, Patty Mills, and Kessler Edwards over the last five games; add in Dragic and Nic Claxton, who has averaged 20 minutes per game over the last five, and that may be the nine Nash rolls with – leaving LaMarcus Aldridge, Cam Thomas, and Blake Griffin as depth options only if needed.
But what if Ben Simmons is able to return at some point in the playoffs? Well, that's apparently a bridge the Nets will cross only if they reach it, as Nash once again contradicted reports there's "optimism" Simmons could soon be available, perhaps as soon as a Game 3 in the first round.
"I have no idea; I don't know where these reports come from, because we have no update on the timetable, so I don't think that came from us," Nash said about the reports' genesis.
Simmons is improving, "definitely positive signs," but WHAT.
"I can't really remember when the epidural was, but he's moving more, shooting, starting to move a little bit on the court in a 1-on-0 environment," Nash said. "Definitely positive signs, and improving, but he hasn't been running full speed or playing against anybody, so still a lot of markers to meet."
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