Avery Johnson was asked for the one thing he has gained this season as coach of the Nets, compared to his time with Dallas.
“I would say just patience,” Johnson offered.
And to be clear, that’s “patience” — not “patients” — although that would work just as well.
Johnson went into the final home game of the season last night against the equally short-handed Bobcats leading an entourage of nine available players — and lost a heartbreaker, 105-103, courtesy of D.J. Augustin’s 18-footer with 1.1 seconds left. Johnson was lucky to have nine, because guard Ben Uzoh was cleared shortly before tipoff after bruising a knee Sunday.
The most notable of the patients is Deron Williams, who had successful surgery on his right wrist yesterday in Manhattan. The surgery, performed by hand specialist Dr. Andrew Weiland and Nets team orthopedic surgeon Dr. Riley Williams III, removed loose bodies, described as three “bony fragments” and “scar tissue” from Williams’ wrist. Dr. Williams predicted the point guard will be performing “basketball-related activities in approximately 6-8 weeks.” After two weeks in a soft splint, the All-Star guard will start his rehab.
And the Nets may not even wait that long after tomorrow’s finale in Chicago to begin their re-tooling. There were a lot of positives in the eyes of the Nets: from Brook Lopez, who scored 31 last night for his 10th 30-point game, to Kris Humphries’ breakout season, to the acquisition of Williams.
But let’s not get too carried away with the positives. The Nets are 24-57 and have lost 14 of their last 16 games.
“This was a season where we were really just trying to get our program back on track, and be respected in such a way where, when teams come in to play us, they know maybe they might be more talented in certain areas, but we were going to play hard,” Johnson said. “I’m really looking forward to once the season ends . . . we can get back to work and really work on this program. Billy [general manager King] and I, this will be our first offseason working together in terms of a draft, in terms of free agency, and that’s what we’re looking forward to.”
No one can blame Johnson for wanting to look ahead and not back. Last night, the Nets carried a sick list to rival the cast of extras in “Gone with the Wind.”
Humphries (ankle/heel), Anthony Morrow (knee tendinitis), Mario West (separated shoulder) and Sundiata Gaines (fractured hip) are done. Damion James (sore foot) is highly doubtful. The Nets haven’t officially squashed James, but his chances are virtually nil to face Chicago.