No return date for Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, but he's getting close-ish

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is getting closer to returning to the basketball court, after having fractured his ankle back in December. He's putting in work at practice, working with shooting coach David Nurse, but the actual timetable for his return is still a mystery, as Brian Lewis writes.

"Not [a rush] at all. Not at all. Whenever I’m ready and they call my name, that’s how it’ll go," Hollis-Jefferson said before Friday’s 95-89 loss in Philadelphia.

"Whenever that is. I’m not sure when that’s going to be, but he’s putting in the work and he’s obviously trying to get himself in better conditioning so that we can put him out there on the floor," interim coach Tony Brown said. "But he’s doing all the necessary work. Even though he hasn’t played in the games, he’s doing all the work to get himself ready.

Neither the Nets nor Hollis-Jefferson knows exactly when that return date is, as Lewis writes. And it's likely they won't be rushing him, especially after the team showed it's inability to display much of an effort after losing to the 76ers on Friday night, the second loss to the 9-win Sixers this season.

Hollis-Jefferson said the hardest thing is having to sit out and not be able to contribute to his team, from a mental perspective, and then trying to work on his stamina so that he can return and be helpful, from a physical standpoint.

"Everything is good," Hollis-Jefferson said. "Just taking it day by day, definitely trying to get my lungs back up to par, 48 minutes or however long I have to play. I’m just trying to be ready for whenever my number is called."

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"[I’m] working out, sprints, a lot of full-court stuff, shooting, ball handling, just doing everything, core, lifting, just trying to do everything I’ve got to do to get back," he said.

Right now, Hollis-Jefferson is working on both aspects, the mindset and the physical, so that when he does return, whenever that is, he'll be ready to contribute.

• Nets’ Hollis-Jefferson inches closer to a mystery return date - Brian Lewis - New York Post