Days off helping Brooklyn Nets recover

The Nets slept in Sunday after arriving around dawn from Salt Lake City. On Monday, they didn't practice. On Tuesday, they'll have some time on the court, then fly off to Cleveland for Wednesday's game vs. a healthy Kyrie Irving and the Cavaliers.

They could use the rest.

As Rod Boone points out, three of the starters are nursing injuries and none of them are named Deron Williams.

"Joe Johnson is trying to still shake off that sore left heel after apparently getting over a right quadriceps contusion that's helped sideline him the past four games. Gerald Wallace was sporting some bruises on his left foot last week. Brook Lopez rolled his left leg late in Friday's loss in Denver and played through it Saturday in Utah, despite interim coach P.J. Carlesimo initially thinking Lopez wasn't going to be able to go."

The biggest issue, obviously, is Johnson's sore right heel. He's missed four straight games and although he says he plans to go Wednesday, that's not a given, at all. It's changed Carlesimo's rotations.

"We just were stretching some guys minutes and putting some guys in circumstances that hopefully, they will not be in going forward. A lot of things are different right now and it's hard to overcome that," the coach said.

One possible benefit, says Wallace, is more time for MarShon Brooks ... and others. We've just got to continue to play, and hopefully it gives MarShon [Brooks] and those guys an opportunity, as well as myself to get some confidence and momentum going into the playoffs."

• Nets shaking off bumps and bruises - Rod Boone - Newsday
• Nets' Lopez playing 'at less than 100 percent' - Tim Bontemps - New York Post
• Nets out to improve their standing in East - Tim Bontemps - New York Post