The Nets continued to be a walking, talking, limping tribute to Murphy’s Law on Tuesday.
Joe Johnson, who figures to gain added ball distribution duties to help reserve point guards Shane Larkin and Donald Sloan combat the knee-injury loss of Jarrett Jack, is listed as questionable with a left thigh contusion for Wednesday’s home game with Toronto. Johnson is coming off his first back-to-back 20-points games of the season. He had 20 at Boston Saturday, 21 against the Celtics on Monday.
Johnson sat out practice Tuesday with the contusion but also as part of a plan to give him rest from his nightly near 35-minute workload.
“He didn’t practice two days ago or two days before that. I’m trying to rest him when I can. He’s playing a lot of minutes, and it’s been working,” coach Lionel Hollins said. “Joe’s feeling fresh when he comes to the game. … It’s really tough when you’re playing every other day and get work in and trying to balance getting work in and getting rest as well.”
Brook Lopez was given Tuesday off from practice to rest. Chris McCullough did not practice because of illness.
The NetsDaily website cited a European report that claimed Russian owner Mikhail Prokhorov might consider the president of CKSA Moscow, Andrey Vatutin, to become Nets general manager after the season. A spokesman for Prokhorov issued a “no comment” on the report but several sources argued the rationale of promoting a Russian and NBA unknown for the critical offseason.
Shane Larkin, in his first start after Jack’s crippling knee injury, cited a lack of aggression for the Nets’ stumbling first quarter Monday. Larkin said he was “just not aggressive in some areas … picking the ball up in a lot of pick-and-roll situations, not keeping my dribble alive, and defensively just not impacting the ball the way I should.”
Larkin, in his first season in Brooklyn, insisted he is comfortable starting and knows his teammates well enough. Larkin said “10-15 games” provides a “good feel” for teammates.
“So I wouldn’t say I’m uncomfortable with anybody at this point,” Larkin said. “I’ve played with everybody, I’ve been in different situations all year. I pretty much know everybody and their capabilities on the court. I wouldn’t say it’s any level of uncomfortableness out there, just got to go out, be aggressive, play my game, not try to defer … and if it’s my time to make a play I’ll make a play, and if somebody else has it going, just get them the ball.”
Monday was a 3-point shooting nightmare for the most part for the Nets. They started making 4-of-6. Then they missed 15 straight and ended up 6-of-28.
Hollins said it wasn’t nuclear physics.
“We just missed them,” he said. “I wish there was a secret but you saw it. After a while, they weren’t even running at our guys and they were missing shots. You’ve got to shoot them with confidence and play. It happens and we got up way too many of them. But they forced us to shoot outside by playing the pick-and-rolls differently and doubling the post and we just couldn’t continue to make them.”