As the Brooklyn Nets look to face the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, the Nets will be doing so without the services of another starter.
About two hours before the start of Friday’s game at the Mavericks, the Nets announced that forward Cam Johnson was out for the matchup due to a left calf contusion. Earlier in the day, Brooklyn added Johnson to the injury report for the same reason, but he was listed as questionable.
In addition to Johnson, starting center Nic Claxton was ruled out for Friday’s game due to a left ankle sprain that he suffered in Wednesday’s season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Claxton finished the game, but there were moments in the contest where Claxton was laboring on that ankle.
The good thing for Nets fans is that because of the absences, former Maverick Dorian Finney-Smith and microwave-scoring guard Cam Thomas will start. Friday’s game represents Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie’s first game against Dallas since being traded from there to Brooklyn as well as the Nets’ first game against Kyrie Irving since trading him to the Mavericks last season.
The Brooklyn #Nets announced that Cam Johnson is ruled out for tonight's game against the Dallas #Mavericks. Johnson joins Dariq Whitehead (foot) and Nic Claxton (ankle) on the inactive list.
Most likely, the replacements will be Day'Ron Sharpe at center and Cam Thomas at guard.
— Sharif Phillips-Keaton (@SharifKeaton) October 27, 2023
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