The Brooklyn Nets (26-45, 11th in the Eastern Conference) have just 11 games left to win as many games as they can if they want to pass the Atlanta Hawks for the 10th and final seed in the play-in tournament. As Brooklyn moves forward, they have some key injuries to their normal rotation.
In the Nets’ injury report released prior to Monday’s game at the Toronto Raptors, there were a few new additions to the report after a tough loss at the New York Knicks on Saturday. Forward Cam Johnson is out for the matchup due to a left big toe sprain, an injury that he picked up during Saturday’s loss at New York.
After the game, Johnson told Brian Lewis of the New York Post that he would be “good to go” for Monday’s game at the Raptors, so it’s possible that the injury became worse since that conversation. Forward Dorian Finney-Smith should see himself inserted into the starting lineup in Johnson’s place.
Guard Dennis Smith Jr. is also out for the game due to right hip synovitis, something that could be more of a wear-and-tear injury as opposed to something that he picked up during Saturday’s game at the Knicks.
Synovitis, described as Transient Synovitis by the National Library of Medicine, is “an acute, non-specific, inflammatory process affecting the joint synovium. TS is a common cause of hip pain in the pediatric patient population” so it seems like something that Smith may need to let rest.
Lastly, forward Keita Bates-Diop, acquired in the trade deadline deal that sent Royce O’Neale to the Phoenix Suns, is out due to a right shin stress reaction. This is no indication of how severe the stress reaction is so that will be something to monitor as time goes on.
Nets status report for tomorrow night's game at the Toronto Raptors:
Keita Bates-Diop (right shin stress reaction), Cam Johnson (left big toe sprain), and Dennis Smith Jr. (right hip synovitis) are OUT.
Jaylen Martin is in the G League.
— Sharif Phillips-Keaton (@SharifKeaton) March 24, 2024
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