Brooklyn Nets

The Nets find themselves once again rebuilding after their big swings with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden failed to lift the team into the NBA’s upper echelon. The cumulative effect of multiple injuries further limited the team last season as 10 players missed at least 10 games to injury or illness over the course of the season. Three of these players missed 20 or more games while Ben Simmons’ lingering back issues kept him sidelined for a total of 64 games. The former number one overall pick has now missed 125 games due to injury or illness over his two and a half seasons in Brooklyn.

The front office was aggressive in the offseason trading Mikal Bridges to the across town Knicks and making several other moves to recoup and restock lost assets, including multiple draft picks and financial flexibility. They also reshaped the medical team, bringing in new hires at multiple key positions. Ben Williams will take over as Director of High Performance following an illustrious career in Premier League football.  Geoff Staton was named Head Athletic Trainer after spending the last five years with the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team in the same role.

The new-look Nets medical team will be assigned with getting Simmons back on the court in the final year of his contract while managing a young roster. Nic Claxton missed time in the preseason with a hamstring strain but is expected back for the start of the season. The same can’t be said for Day’Ron Sharpe and Bojan Bogdanovic who remain on the mend and will start the year on the inactive list.