Joe Harris injury: Why Nets will miss sharpshooter, who will be out 4-8 weeks after ankle surgery

Joe Harris may have arthroscopic surgical procedure on his left ankle on Monday, Brooklyn Nets coach Steve Nash told reporters. Harris shall be out of the lineup for the subsequent 4 to eight weeks, agent Mark Bartelstein told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Nash mentioned that the surgical procedure will take away a “little bone particle” that’s caught in Harris’ ankle. 

The Nets have been with out Harris for the final two weeks, they usually’ve gone 5-2 in that span, with the losses coming at house in opposition to the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns, who’ve the 2 greatest data within the NBA. There is not any disgrace in shedding to these groups, even for a Brooklyn workforce that has title aspirations, however the best way the Nets misplaced is telling.

After the loss to Golden State, Nash mentioned that the Nets had gotten “too stagnant” when confronted with a triangle-and-2 (in opposition to Kevin Durant and James Harden) and a box-and-1 (in opposition to Durant). After the loss to the Phoenix, Nash mentioned that they didn’t move the ball enough or take advantage of the defense packing the paint. With out Harris — one of the correct 3-point shooters in NBA historical past — spacing the ground, it is a lot much less dangerous to play zone in opposition to Brooklyn and cargo up on its stars. 

Harris’ worth, nonetheless, has all the time gone past standstill capturing. He outlasted everybody from the Kenny Atkinson era as a result of he’s the form of participant who can supercharge an offense. Notably in opposition to elite defensive groups, the Nets miss his motion off the ball, his screening and his reducing. He can assault close-outs, too, and, apart from Durant, Brooklyn does not have one other participant on the roster who brings spot-up capturing, dimension and off-ball protection to the desk.

Till Harris returns, Nash should proceed to tinker together with his rotation, balancing capturing and protection as he sees match. The Nets made a recreation of it in opposition to the Suns by going small, switching 1-through-5 and residing with subpar spacing within the halfcourt. If Harris had been obtainable, they might have closed the sport with certainly one of DeAndre’ Bembry and James Johnson on the ground, relatively than each.

The issues that Kyrie Irving’s absence has created — primarily an elevated playmaking workload for Durant and Harden, and a worse offensive atmosphere wherein they need to make these performs — are exacerbated by Harris’ absence. Issues can be rather more dire, nonetheless, if the entrance workplace hadn’t managed to signal Patty Mills, who leads the league in 3-point share (.500), and, like Harris, juices the offense together with his motion and basketball IQ. 

Mills has began the final six video games, so Harris’ surgical procedure is a blow for his Sixth Man of the Yr candidacy. It is usually a chance for rookie bucket-getter Cameron Thomas to earn a constant function within the rotation. Thomas, the No. 27 choose on this yr’s draft, has logged double-digit minutes within the Nets’ final three video games.