After being surprisingly healthy in last season’s breakthrough campaign, the Nets’ Nic Claxton acknowledged how frustrating his ankle injury has been, one which has sidelined him longer than he’d expected.
“It’s been frustrating, especially getting hurt the primary game of the season, and even the technique to the way in which I did it. But it surely’s coming along. I’m day-to-day now, just attempting to keep myself in a superb space, keep supporting my teammates,” said Claxton, who hasn’t played for the reason that opening loss to Cleveland.
“After a pair days … I saw it was taking somewhat bit longer than I expected and everybody expected. Like I said, it’s frustrating however it’s an 82-game season, so what are you able to do? I’m not going to place myself in harm’s way. I’m just taking it day-by-day.”
In Claxton’s absence, 6-foot-7, 220-pound Dorian Finney-Smith has began all five games as a small-ball center.
Neither Claxton nor coach Jacque Vaughn had an estimated return date for the previous.
“No setbacks for Nic. We just continued to see the way it progresses. He’ll proceed to be day-to-day. That’s just a part of his build-up, what he looks like, how he presents on a day by day basis,” Vaughn said.
Saturday night’s game against visiting Boston — which is the league’s lone unbeaten team following their 124-114 win over the Nets — marked the fifth straight game he has missed with a sprained left ankle.
The Nets’ starting center suffered the injury within the regular season opener against Cleveland on a flukey play, hobbling through the remaining of the sport.
“Yeah, I just landed. Like, I just got here down. I didn’t land on anybody’s foot, I just type of landed type of funny and it just tweaked,” Claxton recalled. “It was pretty painful. I ended up playing the remaining of the sport, but I used to be pretty hobbled.”
Claxton is listed with an ankle sprain, however the 24-year-old clarified that it’s a high ankle sprain, the upper the more severe normally layman’s terms.
Recovery times can range from weeks to months, though he’s been out of the walking boot for days.
“I’m back understanding, so we’ll see,” Claxton said. “It’s a high ankle sprain. I don’t know if any of y’all have ever handled a high ankle sprain. It’s my first time, it’s not fun. It’s pain tolerance, it’s being good just mentally. You don’t wish to go on the market and put yourself in a nasty position especially so early within the season.
“So I’m just taking it day-by-day.”
After being dogged by injuries early in his profession and seeing his development stunted, Claxton finally stayed healthy a 12 months ago and had an enormous campaign.
Within the six games he missed, just one was because of injury.
After leading the league in stocks (steals plus blocks) last season with 254, Claxton got here into training camp openly talking about aiming for the All-Defense team, and even Defensive Player of the Yr.
As an alternative, Claxton has missed five straight, and it’s conceivable he’ll miss more.
The Nets host Milwaukee on Monday, and he has yet to totally take part in a pregame shootaround or practice.
Still, he’s out of the boot, icing his ankle commonly, doing physical therapy and glad to be back in Brooklyn after the long nine-day, four-game road trip.
“I’m so comfortable to be back home. That was a crazy road trip to start out the season,” Claxton said. “It’s just good such as you said just having every part in-house. Not being in hotel rooms, stepping into different gyms, having every part here and with the ability to just go home and sleep in your individual bed. It’s good for the mental, the physical. So I’m hoping to be back on the market real soon.”