Joe Harris won’t be the Nets’ savior, but they certainly will welcome his return Wednesday night at Barclays Center.
Losers of seven straight, the Nets (8-17) expect to get their sharpshooting forward back against the Thunder (15-7), hoping he can help fix some of their offensive woes after missing the past three games with left adductor tightness.
“Ready to go,” Harris told reporters after fully practicing Tuesday at the Nets’ facility. “Everybody’s ready to bounce back. The energy level was a lot higher today in practice than it has been in a while, which is good. It’s obviously tough with this skid we’ve been on, but everybody’s still coming in optimistic, positive spirits, ready to bounce back.”
The Nets suffered a crushing defeat Monday night against the last-place Cavaliers, fighting back to tie the game after being down 13 points in the second half, only to lose it with 3.2 seconds left.
It was the latest blow for a team that has been unable to steady the ship after Caris LeVert dislocated his right foot on Nov. 12. LeVert’s return to the court is not yet in sight, but Harris’ presence will at least help for now.
“Hopefully Joe will come back and we’ll get back to our normal lineup, but right now, we’re out of sorts,” coach Kenny Atkinson said after Monday’s loss.
Against the Cavaliers, the Nets were dormant for long stretches offensively. They struggled to knock down open shots, shooting just 39.4 percent from the field and 25 percent from deep. It was more of the same Saturday in their loss to the Wizards, when they shot a paltry 37 percent overall and 24.2 percent from 3.
Harris, who had started all 22 games before his injury, is averaging 12.9 points per game while shooting 49 percent from the field and 44 percent from downtown.
“[We’ve missed him] a lot,” point guard D’Angelo Russell said. “His consistency, his shots, he stretches the floor for us behind the 3. He’s just a leader as well. He leads by example, he’s always trying to do the right things, so if you’re ever lost or need guidance, he’s there.”
Russell, who led the way with 30 points Monday night, said teams have been defending the Nets differently with Harris and LeVert missing.
“You got to look for other options,” Russell said. “It forces other guys to step up as well. We’re capable of doing that too. It’s just figuring out when and where.”
One revelation from Monday’s loss was energetic rookie Rodions Kurucs, who may get more playing time starting Wednesday after scoring 12 points in 14 minutes off the bench.
“Kenny said that maybe I’ll get some more playing time, that gives me more confidence,” Kurucs said Tuesday. “Also guys hype me up a little bit, they help me, and for sure I get all the confidence from them.”
