Two things have been disturbingly rare throughout the Nets’ 1-6 preseason: the sight of point guard Devin Harris and the taste of victory.
The Nets are hoping the return of the former will lead to more of the latter, as Harris practiced for the first time in nearly two weeks and pronounced himself fit for Wednesday’s season opener in Minnesota.
Harris logged just 58 minutes this preseason, and after returning from a strained right groin yesterday, the Nets’ best player and only All-Star has three days to try to get back his conditioning and timing before the games actually start to count.
“I’ve just got to get the feeling back a little bit, but I felt good out there,” said Harris, who took a cortisone shot and saw a specialist and acupuncturist Thursday. “[I went] full speed, took a couple charges. I felt pretty good. Obviously it’ll continue to get better. I’ll work a little bit [today], double sessions at night to get my wind back.”
Harris has not played a full game since the preseason-opening loss to the Knicks on Oct. 4. A sprained ankle forced him from the Oct. 9 game at Philadelphia and cost him the next contest against Boston. Then the groin knocked him out at halftime of the Celtics game in Newark on Oct. 13. He had not practiced since.
“Every time you have [is important] — that’s why practices are vital,” coach Lawrence Frank said. “Look at our schedule: Once we start playing you’ve got three [games] in four [days] to start it. That’s why these three days are vital. It’s just getting him in there, taking every single rep, not having him go out, building his conditioning back up.”
The rebuilding Nets have to build some cohesiveness as well. Harris’ 15-minute cameo against the Celtics was the only time he played alongside starting off-guard Courtney Lee, who has started just four of the seven preseason games. That duo needs to work quickly to build a rapport.
“Obviously three of the guys that we play with on the [starting unit] haven’t really played with me before, so I have to get used to those guys, me trying to adjust to the way they’ve been playing in preseason,” Harris said.
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Forward Eduardo Najera (hip flexor) did non-contact work and is day-to-day, while forward/center Tony Battie (knee arthritis) participated in half of practice before being shut down.