The reserves for the NBA All-Star Game will be announced Thursday night on TNT, and Nets coach Avery Johnson thinks Deron Williams is having an All-Star-caliber season.
“I think it’s been [one], especially under the circumstances,” Johnson said before last night’s 108-87 loss to the Bulls at Prudential Center. “You have to look at the whole body of work this year, and look at how injured we’ve been and all of the different challenges and obstacles we’ve been in.
“I think it’s well-documented where we are. And I think, under the circumstances, what he’s had to deal with on the court, in terms of all of the adversity, the injuries, the way he’s played this year, it’s definitely an All-Star year.”
Williams, who scored 25 points and dished out five assists, and Bulls point guard Derrick Rose entered the night as the only two players in the league averaging over 20 points and eight assists per game.
Rose, who was voted as one of the Eastern Conference’s starters last week, scored four points in 11 first-half minutes before sitting out the second half with lower back spasms.
“It’s definitely an honor to be selected, especially by the coaches,” Williams said. “[If not], it’s not the end of the world … [I’ll] have a nice vacation.”
***Anthony Morrow missed last night’s game to attend the funeral of his grandmother, Lillie. Keith Bogans replaced Morrow in the starting lineup, giving the Nets 13 different starting lineups in their last 26 games.
Morrow’s absence left the Nets with just nine available players, as they continue to struggle with several injuries. Damion James is out for the season after having surgery last month on his right foot, while Brook Lopez is still recovering from a December surgery on a stress fracture in the fifth metatarsal in his right foot.
MarShon Brooks (broken pinkie toe) and Mehmet Okur (back spasms) will be out until at least Saturday, while DeShawn Stevenson (sore right knee) is out until at least Monday.
Williams, who roots for the Steelers, was impressed by the way the Giants turned their season around and capped it off with their fourth Super Bowl title.
“[It’s] similar to what they did last time,” he said. “Kind of rallied at the end of the season and came in playing the best football out of anybody.
“The defense is really tough, Eli’s [Manning] a great quarterback. He’s always poised, [and] makes big things happen.”
***Last night’s game was the first of five times the Nets will wear throwback jerseys to their days as the ABA’s New York Nets.
When Johnson was asked after the game if he liked them, he responded, “Not when we’re down by 32.”
The Nets will wear them again Saturday against the Spurs.
tbontemps@nypost.com