/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59328697/usa_today_10607685.0.jpg)
The injury bug has returned to bite the Brooklyn Nets late in the season.
Caris LeVert, who has a history of foot injuries, is out with right foot tendinitis in the Nets’ final home regular season contest against the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.
Joe Harris, who was originally listed as questionable early Monday, was downgraded to out prior before the game, to what is being referred to as a sprained left ankle.
Isaiah Whitehead is out for the rest of the reason due to an injured right wrist, which required surgery, and as our Anthony Puccio reported last night, DeMarre Carroll is out for the rest of the season with a hip strain.
What do the four of them have in common? They’re all wings.
So now what? Kenny Atkinson says to expect Nik Stauskas and Milton Doyle to fill in their place.
“Trying to figure it out. I think our main guys; we’ll have to bump their minutes up,” said Atkinson. “I think you’ll see Nik, Nik will get a fair amount of minutes, which is good. He’s worked hard all year, so I think he’ll be ready. I think you can see a little bit of Milt, I think that’s possible. We also have Rondae in reserve, he can move to the three. He’s played the three, he knows the three, that is definitely in the realm of possibility. We’ll read the game and see how it goes. I think all those guys are in the mix.”
This could be a huge opportunity for Stauskas or Doyle, both of whom are playing for their NBA livelihood.
Stauskas is averaging 4.8 points per game in 33 games as a Net this season while shooting 42.7% from three. Over her last four games, the University of Michigan alum is shooting 55.6% from three, a stretch that includes a 13-point game against at the Philadelphia 76ers, where Stauskas arrived to Brooklyn from via trade in December.
Nets’ two-way guard Doyle has only played in eight NBA games this season, but was a G League All-Star. The Loyola Chicago alum is averaging 2.5 points per game with the NBA Nets, and hasn’t played an NBA game since January 15 before earning minutes in each of the team’s last two games.
As for Harris and Caris, they’re not out for the season. In fact, Atkinson is hopeful for their return on Wednesday’s season ender against the Boston Celtics on the road.