Brook Lopez: relearning to walk with reconstructed foot

Brook Lopez spoke Sunday about his reconstructive foot surgery last month, where he stands on his long journey back and how he fully expects his latest procedure to work.  The Nets center said he hasn't begun rehab, that the next step will be creating special shoes and sneakers and the plan continues to be for him to be ready by training camp.

With regard to the surgery itself, Lopez explained that following multiple procedures to fix problems with his fifth metatarsal, on the outer edge of his right foot, the plan now is much more ambitious.

"They're trying to put more pressure on the inside of my foot,'' said Lopez. ""Essentially, what they did was lower the arch. It will be interesting to learn to walk differently for the first time. I'm going to be falling on my face more than I do already.''

Lopez who told Fred Kerber that the plan "will work," reiterated that feeling with the beat writers. There is no room for doubt, he insisted. It was his first visit to Barclays Center since the surgery.  He had been bed-ridden most of January.

"I don't think I could go on the court and play basketball and have that doubt in my mind. We've done everything that we can,'' he said. "It is up to me to do the right things in this rehab and get it back to where I won't have to worry about it again.''

Both Lopez and Jason Kidd said just having him around was a big boost for him and his teammates. There have been rumors, reported by Zach Lowe that the Nets might consider trading Lopez, but he's unaware of them.  And considering the mixed results such foot reconstruction has had on other big men, it seems unlikely a fair trade could be worked out now, so soon after the injury and before rehabilitation.

• Brook Lopez looks forward to resuming career with rebuilt foot - Rod Boone - Newsday
• Brooklyn's future still hangs on Brook - Ohm Youngmisuk - ESPN New York
• Brook Lopez upbeat about comeback - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York
• Lopez staying positive despite foot injury - Tim Bontemps - New York Post
• Nets Notebook: Brook Lopez confident career not in danger - Larry Fleisher - Metro
  
• Nets' Lopez, Recovering From Foot Surgery Will Learn to "Walk Differently" - Alex Raskin - Wall Street Journal
  
• Nets Beat Pelicans; Lopez Confident Ab out his Return Next Season - Lenn Robbins - Brooklyn Nets