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Brook Lopez has a sprained right ankle and will miss three weeks, the team announced. It's just the latest injury for the big man, who didn't make his season debut until Feb. 19 after suffering a stress fracture in the preseason.
New Jersey Nets center Brook Lopez did not play Saturday night against the Chicago Bulls as expected, but will make his season debut against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Prudential Center on Sunday, the team announced. Lopez is expected to start the game.
Lopez will then sit out Monday night when the Nets take on the New York Knicks, according to coach Avery Johnson. Lopez would then be back in the lineup against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.
Rumors have swirled that Lopez's return could signal his place as the potential centerpiece for any trade involving the Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard, making Wednesday's game a possible audition for a new home.
Lopez suffered a stress fracture in his foot in the NBA preseason and was originally slated to miss six to eight weeks with the injury.
Lopez is in the final year of his rookie contract, making $3.1 million this season. He will be a restricted free agent at the end of the 2011-12 season.
For more on Lopez and and the Nets, be sure to visit the SB Nation blog NetsDaily.
New Jersey Nets center Brook Lopez suffered a stress fracture in his foot in the NBA preseason and originally was slated to miss six to eight weeks with the injury. The Nets announced on Friday that their star center would make a return to the lineup against the Chicago Bills in the United Center on Saturday afternoon. Lopez was a very important piece for the Nets and the team has struggled without him on the court.
"We've needed Brook all year," Deron Williams told The Star-Ledger after Thursday's loss. "That changes everything. That changes our team just him being out there. It takes the pressure off me, off of (Kris Humphries); it opens things up. He commands double teams. It's going to be a different team."
Lopez's return isn't just getting back a good player into the lineup, it's also getting back the potential centerpiece for any trade involving the Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard. The Nets tried to trade for Howard earlier in the season, and it involved Lopez and two first-round draft picks. They're expected to make another run at Howard; getting Lopez back on the court and healthy is the first step.
For more on Lopez and and the Nets, be sure to visit the SB Nation blog NetsDaily.
Earlier reports that Brook Lopez may return by early February could be as overly optimistic as they initially sounded. According to Ken Berger of CBS Sports, the New Jersey Nets announced Friday that the third-year center is now more likely to return within a six-to-eight week timeframe. Lopez suffered a stress fracture in his right foot during Wednesday's preseason game against the New York Knicks.
As NetDaily points out, a return in six weeks would place Lopez back in the lineup on Feb. 3, missing 23 of the Nets' scheduled 66 games. In eight weeks the Nets will have played 31 games, and more importantly, the team will be running closer up against the March 15 trade deadline. Lopez has been mentioned as a potential trade chip if the Nets were to acquire Dwight Howard.
The Nets reportedly inserted a screw into Lopez' right foot in hopes of speeding up the recovery process. He will begin rehabilitation in two weeks.
For more on Lopez and and the Nets, be sure to visit the SB Nation blog NetsDaily.
The Utah Jazz have traded forward Mehmet Okur to the New Jersey Nets for a second-round pick and a trade exception, the team announced Thursday night. Here's the full press release, via The Salt Lake Tribune:
Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor announced today that the team has acquired a future second-round draft pick and a trade exception from the New Jersey Nets in exchange for center Mehmet Okur.
Entering his 10th NBA season, Okur (6-11, 265, Yalova, Turkey), appeared in 13 games (no starts) for the Jazz during the 2010-11 campaign, averaging 4.9 points and 2.3 rebounds in 12.9 minutes per game. The 2007 NBA All-Star holds career averages of 13.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 617 career games (446 starts) with Detroit and Utah. Okur, who joined the Jazz prior to the 2004-05 season, departs the team ranking fourth on the franchise's all-time list for three-pointers made (517), fifth for three-pointers attempted (1,358), and ninth in scoring (7,255), rebounding (3,599) and blocked shots (346).
The second-round pick is for 2015, but most importantly in this deal, the Nets get a big body to replace big man Brook Lopez, who will undergo surgery for a stress fracture in his foot and miss more than a month. Though Okur isn't the post presence Lopez is — he's one of those three-point shooting big men — he's height, and he's a solid rebounder. He's also familiar for Deron Williams, who lost his best supporting character in Lopez.
For more on the two teams involved in the trade, visit Nets Daily and Jazz blog SLC Dunk.
Brook Lopez could return by early February from surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right foot, according to sources with the New Jersey Nets. Lopez reportedly suffered the injury during Wednesday's preseason game against the New York Knicks. The timetable would have him missing roughly over a third of the team's season due to the lockout-shortened schedule.
More importantly though, a February return would put Lopez back on the court before the league's March 15 trade deadline. Lopez has been mentioned as a hypothetical trade piece in deals that could land Dwight Howard in New Jersey. If Lopez holds to the timetable, potential suitors would have about a month to evaluate the young center.
Of course, some are skeptical that the Lopez will be able to make a February return, notably ESPN's John Hollinger. Foot injuries do have a tendency to linger, especially on bigger bodies, so it's safe to say the Lopez' recovery will be closely monitored by several parties.
For more on Lopez and the Nets, head over to the SB Nation blog NetsDaily.
Brook Lopez has been diagnosed with a stress fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot, New Jersey Nets GM Billy King announced Thursday. Lopez will undergo surgery Friday, two days after suffering the injury in the first half of Wednesday's preseason game against the New York Knicks. No timetable has been announced for return, though with surgery scheduled a long layoff would not be surprising.
The third-year center is one of the more promising young players in the league at his position. Lopez averaged over 20 points and six rebounds while playing 35 minutes per game last season for the Nets. He put up 15 points and nine rebounds Wednesday, but committed six turnovers before leaving the game with foul trouble.
With Lopez out, the Nets are currently left with Jordan Williams, a rookie, and Shelden Williams, he of 15 minutes per game in 2010, to pick up the slack.
For more on the impact of Lopez' injury, head over to the SB Nation blog NetsDaily.
Brook Lopez Injury Update: Nets Center To Miss 3 More Weeks, Team Announces
Brook Lopez has been limited to just five games with the New Jersey Nets this season and it looks like he'll be missing quite a few more. The Nets announced on Monday that Lopez has a sprained right ankle and will be out for at least three weeks, at which point he'll be re-evaluated.
That timeline would keep Lopez out through the March 15 trade deadline, which almost certainly means that he'll be staying put. When Lopez has been healthy this year, he has been solid, although his rebounding is down significantly from previous years. The seven-footer is averaging 19.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. Last year, he averaged 20.4 points and 6.0 rebounds while the year before it was 18.8 and 8.6.
Mar 05 4:35p by Jeremiah Oshan - 0 comments