Nets will be without Nic Claxton when they square off vs. Grizzlies

When nan Nets play nan tail extremity of this back-to-back Wednesday successful Memphis, they’ll do it without nan man who’s been arguably their champion player.

Nic Claxton, still moving his measurement backmost to afloat conditioning aft missing nan full preseason pinch a hamstring injury, is going to beryllium rested against nan Grizzlies.

“So it’s fundamentally portion of nan return to play pinch his minutes, back-to-back, being cautious pinch his assemblage and this was portion of nan plan,” caput coach Jordi Fernandez said. “So he did a awesome job. He played those, those other minutes astatine 26. Right now, we request a bully remainder and recovery, and past we’ll return nan adjacent step. So again, very, very happy pinch him.”

Claxton has accrued his minutes successful each of nan regular play games, coming disconnected nan bench.

Going up against Nikola Jokic successful Tuesday’s 144-139 nonaccomplishment successful OT connected Tuesday, he had 16 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks earlier fouling retired pinch 26:09 minutes logged.

Ben Simmons, who had been starting astatine halfway pinch Claxton and backup Day’Ron Sharpe out, sat Tuesday’s loss.

He’s expected backmost against nan Grizzlies.

Trendon Watford won’t play Wednesday but could beryllium backmost successful nan adjacent fewer games.

Ziaire Williams played his first 3 seasons arsenic a Grizzlies lottery prime earlier being acquired this offseason arsenic a net dump.

“I emotion those guys to death,” Williams said. “I would beryllium lying if I told you I didn’t miss them. We still talk. Shoot, I was texting them correct now.

“Yeah, those are my guys. The coaching staff, nan players, nan fans. They show maine thing but love. So I’m decidedly happy to spell backmost location a small spot and beryllium connected nan different broadside of them for a small spot and compete pinch my brothers. Yeah, I’m looking guardant to it. It’ll beryllium a nosy game. It’s gonna beryllium a reliable one, but it’ll beryllium fun.”

Williams had 18 points connected 7 of 8 shooting.

More encouraging, he was 4 of 5 from down nan arc and is 8-for-12 this season.

“It is [special] going backmost home,” Dorian Finney-Smith said. “We want to get it for him.”

Dennis Schroder (28 points, 14 assists) and Cam Thomas (26 points) person topped 20-plus points successful each of nan past 3 games.

They’re nan first Nets starting backcourt to do that since James Harden and Kyrie Irving successful March 2021, per Elias.

Schröder has recorded 20-plus points and 5 aliases much assists successful each of nan past 3 games for nan first clip since a career-best 4 consecutive successful 2019-20.