Bodies leaving at the trade deadline and bodies breaking down at this time of year opened the door for Jalen Wilson, who has made the most of his opportunities.
Those chances might not be around much longer, but the Nets forward has begun to make an impression.
The rookie, late second-round pick has received a long run in back-to-back games — including his first career start and nearly 40 minutes of playing time in Thursday’s shorthanded loss to the Cavaliers — and has looked comfortable and brought energy.
The 6-foot-8 former Kansas star has gone 6 of 15 from the floor and 4 of 6 from beyond the arc, showing a nice stroke, to go with seven rebounds and five assists in the pair of games.
Sean Marks’ Nets have proven adept at finding talent late in the draft, and the (very) early returns of Wilson have been promising.
Wilson, a two-way player who averaged 19 points per game with the Long Island Nets, has emerged in part because of injuries to Dorian Finney-Smith and Cam Johnson, who will play regularly once healthy.
Finney-Smith, who has missed six straight games with a left hamstring strain, is no longer listed on the injury report and presumably OK to play Saturday against the Spurs at Barclays Center.
Johnson is expected to miss a third consecutive game with a left adductor strain.
With Finney-Smith around, Wilson will have a harder time finding playing time, but the Nets are happy with what they have seen so far.
“I give him an extreme amount of credit for using his minutes wisely and putting it in my mind as somehow, some way I gotta put him on the floor,” head coach Jacque Vaughn said Thursday of Wilson. “That’s what he’s supposed to do as a player, is put that in the coach’s mind.
“It is in my mind, but there’s just a certain amount of minutes that just are on the floor.”
Lonnie Walker IV, who has missed two straight games with left hamstring tightness, is “probable” to play.
Day’Ron Sharpe will miss his 15th straight game with left knee hyperextension.
The Nets waived guard Jordan Goodwin, who was part of the trade return that sent Royce O’Neale to the Suns.