It’s Thursday. Or around the Nets, “It’s a day to talk about more players hurt.”
Or, “It’s the day to talk about the latest 10-day guy to be signed.” In this case, it’ll be 6-9 Dennis Horner, who started the season with the Nets and who will re-sign Friday.
The Nets announced this morning that Shelden Williams, the only player to have endured all 52 games this season, did not fly to the West Coast with the team and is out at least until Apr. 5 with a right eye injury. So Williams will sit all four games (Warriors, Kings, Lakers, Blazers) of the Nets’ West Coast trip.
Williams was poked in the eye by Tyler Hansbrough in the second quarter during Wednesday’s home rout of Indiana. He was sent to Hackensack University Medical Center for added tests. The Nets did not release any additional information but apparently Williams did not suffer any permanent damage.
Then there is Jordan Williams who is listed as doubtful for the trip opener Friday at Golden State. Williams suffered what was labeled a “mild concussion” and is day to day. He took an inadvertent shot from Pacer center Roy Hibbert.
Wait, there’s more (sounds like an info-mercial). Anthony Morrow is probable for Friday after missing two games with a bruised right shoulder; Jordan Farmar is out with a sore right groin. And of course, Brook Lopez (ankle) remains out while Damion James (foot surgery) is done for the season.
So the Nets will make Horner their latest 10-day guy Friday. He follows in the 10-day path of Andre Emmett, Jerry Smith and Gerald Green.
Horner began the season with the Nets and played in five games, averaging 3.2 minutes and less than one point and rebound per. But he gives something the Nets desperately need: an uninjured body and size. With Morrow and Farmar down, the Nets originally wanted a point guard but when two guys 6-10 (Jordan Williams) and 6-9 (Shelden Williams) went down in the same game, bulk took precedence over passes.
After Wednesday’s game, the Nets lost manpower games total rose to 185. When Shelden Williams misses Friday’s game, it will mark the first time since the 2005-06 season that the Nets did not have at least one player in every game. Lopez played all 82 in each of the past three seasons (Travis Outlaw did all 82 last season as well). In 2007-08, Richard Jefferson played all 82 games, a feat duplicated by Vince Carter in 2006-07.