Devin Update

Devin Harris doesn't know what play it happened. All he knows is he felt tightness and it bothered him enough to get it looked at and the decision was to sit out the rest of the night.

If you're keeping track - and I know you are - that's a sore right ankle, a sore left ankle and strained right groin for the Nets' lone All-Star and 20-point scorer.

Harris said the groin started bothering him in the first period and he tried to play on it in the second. His night ended at halftime and the Nets ended with a 91-88 defeat after which Lawrence Frank said there is no way his team should be outworked. They were.

The Nets led Boston - minus Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen for the game and Rasheed Wallace for the fourth period - by 14 points. They scored just 11 in the fourth period as they struggled on both ends and showed the lack of a go-to guy. Maybe it's different if Harris is in there because he has carried them in the fourth before. Harris said he will again, despite all these setbacks.

"It's the same sort of situation with the ankle," Harris said. "It's not really severe. It's a slight strain. Doctors want to take precaution. We'll re-evaluate tomorrow; probably be back hopefully by the weekend."

All Harris cares about is that he's healthy for opening night, but the Nets need him now to for practices and game so they can see what they have, how everything fits.

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Courtney Lee looked good in his first start, scoring in transition and on the perimeter. He had 21 points on just 12 shots, one that was swatted by Big Baby Davis with about 16.7 seconds left.

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Here was Frank after the game:

"Right from the beginning of the third quarter, their first play in terms of great pace, our first play jogging in cuts. They raised their intensity level, we didn’t. We go from the offensive end we had a great pace in the first half, second half we lost it. How hard we cut, screens, getting easy baskets, ball movement, our shot selection. And defnesively, giving up all those free throw rebounds. Rondo, he just shows you why he’s an elite point guard – exhibition, it doesn’t matter -- 40 minutes, goes hard the whole time, takes over late. The lesson is, one is you have to play 48 minutes. Two, you can never get outworked. Three is, once things get stale at one end you have to suck it up at the other. The previous games we did well in the last 4-5 minutes in terms of execution, this game we lost our way. "

***

Yi Jianlian said he banged his shoulder and he felt some discomfort and the training staff decided it would be better if he rests it. He expects to play Friday.

Same sort of situation with the ankle. It’s not really severe. It’s a slight strain. Doctors want to take precaution. We’ll reevaluate tomorrow. Probably be back hopefully by the weekend.

Comments

[Ari]

Finally able to see a preseason game on YES. Overall, still not high on Yi as usual. Try as I might, I never see this guy as a reliable NBA performer, night in and night out. The main concern is the Celtics played their B squad. They play all their guys, the Nets probably lose by 30. Unfortunately, it will almost definitely be a real long season, just too many maybes on this team and regardless of the bright spots, other teams have more talent, simple as that.

[TT]

hi al
i agree with ARI comments completely.
let me share a little insider info!! a friend who works for the grizzlies said that the nets were ACTIVELY shopping to trade HARRIS to the grizzlies before the draft!! my suspicion is that his injury prone history played a role!!also it is not clear that he can be a TRUE point guard if the nets ever put a solid team around him!!can he run the show like a jason kidd??obviously the mavericks didnt think so.

[TT]

i am so upset that yi BANGED HIS SHOULDER!!WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO HIM PHYSICALLY IN A REAL GAME(NOT EXHIBITION) WHEN THINGS GET REAL PHYSICAL!!MY GUESS YI WILL STAY FAR AWAY FROM ANY CONTACT AND AWAY FROM THE BASKET!!
UNFORTUNATELY FOR THE NETS BIG GUYS NEED TO AT THE LEAST HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE PHYSICAL!!
AS AL HAS CLEARLY STATED IN A PREVIOUS NEWS STORY,YI IS SKILLED AND TALENTED!!DOESNT HE INCLUDE THE ABILITY TO BANG AS PART OF A BIG MANS BASKETBALL SKILLS?
SHOOTING 3 POINTERS IN PRACTICE OR EVEN DURING A GAME FOR A 7 FOOTER DOESNT ELIMINATE ALL OF YIS OBVIOUS FAULTS WHICH WILL BE IN FULL VIEW DURING THE SEASON!!
IN FACT SITTING AT GAMES NEAR COURT LEVEL LAST YEAR,YI DOESNT GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT HE IS HAPPY OUT ON THE COURT!!MY SUSPICION IS THAT BY HIS NATURE,HE DOESNT LIKE PHYSICAL BBALL AS IS PLAYED IN THIS COUNTRY!!!

[kahara]

ｈｔｔｐ://ｗｗｗ.ｂａｎｋｎｅｔ.ｂｉｚ/