LONDON – Deron Williams had hoped to make a return trip to London for the Nets’ game Thursday against the Hawks at O2 Arena, where Williams claimed his second gold medal as part of the U.S. national team at the 2012 Olympics.
But Nets coach Jason Kidd said the team made the prudent decision in having Williams stay back in New York to continue his rest and rehabilitation of both of his troublesome ankles, as opposed to bringing him on the team’s trip across the Atlantic this week.
“Yeah, just let him go through his rehab there instead of hauling him over here,” Kidd said Tuesday after the Nets held their first practice since arriving Monday morning. “So he’s going through his rehab, so we’ll see where he’s at when we get back.
“He wants to be with the team. He wants to be playing. But with him rehabbing, we thought it would be best for him to stay.”
Williams has missed the last four games — bringing his season total to 15 — after initially being diagnosed with a sprained left ankle and then undergoing cortisone shots and platelet rich plasma treatment in both ankles last Tuesday. Kidd wasn’t ready to commit to the star point guard returning for Monday’s game against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden – the first game back from London for the Nets.
“We’re taking it day-by-day,” Kidd said. “We’ll see how his rehab goes.”
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Andrei Kirilenko smiled when he was asked after practice if he had been in touch with owner Mikhail Prokhorov, his Russian countryman, since the summer.
“Actually, no,” he said. “I haven’t seen him. I think he was only at one game.”
Kirilenko was correct. Prokhorov is expected to be in attendance for Thursday’s game, his first time seeing his team in person since taking in the Nets’ win over the Heat in the Nov. 1 home opener.
Kidd – who owns a small stake in the team himself – said he expects to see Prokhorov at some point during the team’s visit.
“We’ll talk at some point,” he said. “We always look forward to seeing and talking to our owner.”