Trendon Watford and Day’Ron Sharpe will not play in the Nets‘ preseason opener against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.
Brooklyn announced on Monday that Watford and Sharpe were both diagnosed with left hamstring strains, which were sustained during last week’s training camp practices. Both players have begun rehabilitation and neither traveled with the team to San Diego last Friday.
Watford is expected to be re-evaluated in two weeks and will miss the entirety of Brooklyn’s preseason slate. Sharpe, who is expected to be re-evaluated in six weeks, will miss preseason action and the first month of the regular season.
Starting center Nic Claxton had already been ruled out of the preseason opener because of hamstring soreness. His status for the Nets’ second preseason game against the Washington Wizards on Oct. 14 remains in the air, but his injury is not expected to be serious.
Watford, who re-signed with the Nets on a one-year deal in July, appeared in a career-best 63 games in 2023-24 and averaged 6.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists. Sharpe, entering his fourth NBA season, ended last season ranked third in the league in rebound percentage (.199) and second in offensive rebound percentage (.163). And Claxton, who inked a four-year, $100 million extension over the offseason, averaged 11.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks across 71 games last season while shooting 62.9% from the field.
Jordi Fernendez must overcome a depleted frontcourt in his head coaching debut on Tuesday.
“I mean, it gets really fun, because at some point I wanted to play with smalls, and then all of a sudden, I can do it now,” Fernandez told reporters following Friday’s practice. “So, you never know when these things come and when they do, then you have to be ready. And I think it’s a great opportunity for us to try what we want to try, for everybody to be ready to step in and play. So obviously, Nic and all those guys are very important for us, and they’ll be back soon.”
It was reported that Fernandez plans to start point guards Ben Simmons and Dennis Schröder together against the Clippers. With Watford out, guys like Killian Hayes and Shake Milton should get extended looks as reserve ball-handling options. And until Sharpe returns, second-year forward Noah Clowney will likely see extended minutes at the 5 when Claxton is on the bench.
The Nets will open the 2024-25 regular season against the Atlanta Hawks on Oct. 23.
“So far for us, we have put players in the perimeter and then the center spot,” Fernandez said when asked about Brooklyn’s frontcourt versatility. “So, everybody’s been there for the most part, it’s interchangeable. It doesn’t really change, actually, everybody does it.”
