The Nets may have been on the short end of Friday night’s 106-96 loss to the Sixers at the Barclays Center. But for the team’s outlook this season, the far more important development was the continuation of an impressive — and healthy — preseason for center Brook Lopez.
Lopez, who spent almost all of last season sidelined with a pair of foot injuries, finished last night’s game with 23 points, nine rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot.
But, more importantly, Lopez finished the game with more than 33 minutes played, after being on the court for 24 minutes the night before in a loss to the Celtics. Playing in back-to-back games was the final test of Lopez’s return to the floor this preseason, and he seemed to pass it with flying colors.
“It definitely gives me confidence,” Lopez said afterward. “I’ve had no problems. I feel like I’m just out there playing basketball.
“Like I keep saying, it’s just great to be out there.”
Still, the Nets aren’t going to take any chances. Nets coach Avery Johnson said the team will monitor Lopez over the weekend, and if he shows any signs of needing a day off, he will sit out of practice tomorrow.
But Johnson was happy with what he saw from his center.
“Now it’s about recovery,” Johnson said. “We stretched [his minutes] a little bit, and now it’s about recovery and him gaining confidence that, ‘Hey, I’m OK.’ There’s nothing else to think about … hopefully this will be a big boost.”
Lopez continued to be aggressive in attacking the glass, something he’s struggled to do at times, and the Nets were able to get him the ball in the post several times, allowing him to get some easy baskets. For Deron Williams, who spent much of last season playing without Lopez, having him back on the court is a welcome sight.
“It’s been great,” Williams said. “Brook has been great. He’s been in and out this offseason while I was here, so I’ve seen how hard he’s working getting ready for this season, and he’s had a great preseason.
“He’s rebounding the basketball well, he’s scoring the basketball well, he’s blocking shots, so he’s active. And we’re definitely going to need him, and we’re excited to have him back in the lineup.”
* In a widely expected move, the Nets picked up the team option for next season on the contract of second-year shooting guard MarShon Brooks Friday.
“It’s great,” Brooks said after finishing with six points, three rebounds and two assists in 11:42. “It’s another year to work.”
Brooks, who was drafted with the 25th overall pick in the 2011 draft by the Celtics and then traded to the Nets on draft night, averaged 12.6 points and 3.6 rebounds in 56 games for the Nets in his rookie season, including 47 starts. He was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie Second Team.
“It was the right decision,” Avery Johnson said before last night’s game. “He’s a young guy, he’s talented … it’s the right thing to do.
“It just gives him a little more comfort, and that’s pretty much it. He’s been a pretty good camper since he’s been here. He’s very coachable, he’s a likeable young man, and we still think he has a lot of room to improve.”