Brooklyn Nets to team Brook Lopez and Andray Blatche

Avery Johnson has been reluctant to play Brook Lopez and Andray Blatche together. Blatche, who's filled in for Lopez when injured, is the second unit's leading scorer, but now, Johnson has changed his mind. Perhaps it was Blatche's posterization of Spencer Hawes or his no-look pass in transition or his moment as a point center.

Whatever it was, Johnson told beat reporters Monday that he expects to play the two together and soon, perhaps in the back-to-back the Nets have Tuesday and Wednesday.

“That’s something you’re going to see,” Johnson said. “You’re going to see that. [Assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo] has been on me the whole season about it."

That was one of several pieces of news tweeted out of practice by Tim Bontemps and Mike Mazzeo. Kris Humphries will be going for an MRI after experiencing abdominal pain and Johnson said that he expects Toko Shengelia will see a few more minutes a game on the second unit. Shengelia, the youngest Net at 21, can play either forward position but the Nets had him at small forward in Springfield Friday. He wound up with a triple double and only two blocks and two steals short of a 5x5.

As for trade speculation, Deron Williams said, cool it.

"We’re still young, we’re still trying to figure things out. We’ve gone through a lot of different changes, a lot of different lineups We haven’t really found something that’s been steady for us," Williams said. "I don’t see any reason that we need to panic and think about trades and stuff.

"I haven’t really talked to Billy (King) about anything like that (trades) this whole year. I think everybody’s happy with the teammates. We all get along. We feel as a team that we can be a good team. We just have to put it together."

Based on tweets by Tim Bontemps and Mike Mazzeo.

• Notebook: Back to old playbook - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York
• Kris Humphries of Brooklyn Nets having issues with abdominal muscles - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York
• Looking back: New offensive sets pay dividends in win over 76ers - Tim Bontemps - New York Post
• Avery Johnson makes big decision by benching Kris Humphries - Jon Lane - SB Nation