Nets Notebook: Lonnie Walker is inching closer to return, Jacque Vaughn clears the air
Lonnie Walker IV is traveling with the Nets during their current four-game road trip, which began on Friday against the Washington Wizards. The 6-foot-4 guard has missed 14 straight games because of a left hamstring strain but could return to the court as soon as Jan. 2 if his recovery continues to trend in the right direction.
“Going into the new year I’ll have some more information,” head coach Jacque Vaughn said. “But he’s on the trip, which is a good sign.”
Speaking to reporters for the first time in weeks ahead of Friday’s game, Walker said he is dying to get back on the court and not being able to contribute has been a struggle for him.
There is a universe where Walker would already be back in the rotation. However, he was inflicted with a virus last week that pushed his expected timetable back further.
“It pissed me off a lot, honestly,” Walker said. “I was home I was very upset, just because I want to play. I want to play with my guys. I want to play my family, my teammates and win and get better. So I think on the bright side of things, you know, just give me more time to kind of recover and make sure once I’m back 100% I can go as far as hard as I want to go.”
Walker added that Friday was a “huge day” in terms of his recovery. He did sprints. He dunked the ball a bit. He did not go too fast, but fast enough.
When asked if he will return during the Nets’ current four-game road trip, Walker did not have a clear answer for that. That decision ultimately belongs to Brooklyn’s training staff. But when he does get the official green light, the Nets will be getting back a player who has averaged 14.6 points in 17 games this season while shooting 48.9% from the field and 46.3% from 3-point range.
The team will be one step closer to whole, and Walker is doing his best to make sure he can pick up where he left off.
“I’m staying on my Ps and Qs,” Walker said. “I think the definition of staying ready speaks highly on my resume… I’m watching a lot of film, honestly, watching my teammates, seeing what I can provide when I’m on the court, rather than trying to be a ball-dominant player or whatnot.”
COMMUNICATION IS KEY
Mikal Bridges played just 12 minutes in the Nets’ 144-122 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. In a locker room interview with the New York Post, the forward made it known that he was not happy about it.
“Didn’t like the choice and whatever that was,” Bridges said. “But it’s whatever. Definitely was not a fan.”
Ahead of Friday’s game against Washington, Vaughn did not share whether he had a private conversation with Bridges regarding the comments he made on Wednesday. However, he did reiterate that the decision he made was in the best interest of the team.
“You guys know I’m pretty honest with you guys across the board,” Vaughn said. “And for me, that’s the inner peace that I have that can go home… My ideal world of communication is that I present the information to you, I’m upfront with it. And I’m not just talking about [reporters]. I’m talking about players when I have the communication with them — and that they understand I have to make a choice, and the choice will be made.
“It’s just like with my kids, though. That doesn’t mean you always have to agree. And so the communication is what I want and understand that I have to make a choice. And that’s my position as the head coach. But just like my kids doesn’t mean you have to agree with a decision.”
The Nets had a full host of players on Friday, outside of Walker and Ben Simmons.
TROUBLE IN VEGAS
Bridges’ benching was more than a Nets problem on Wednesday. It was also an issue for Sportsbooks across the country.
The player props for Bridges (21.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists) were created under the assumption that he would play the entire game. Bridges and Cam Thomas were the only two regular starters not listed on the team’s injury report entering the night.
However, Bridges had a consecutive games streak to keep intact. Bettors likely remembered a similar scenario from last season where the forward only played one quarter to keep his streak alive just to sit for the rest of the game.
They were correct. According to ESPN, 83% of the bets cast through BetMGM on Bridges’ points were on the under. FanDuel and DraftKings also experienced a high percentage of people betting on the under for Bridges’ statistics. And the vigilant bettors who caught on early enough most likely had an easy cash out.
