Andrea Bargnani OUT vs. New York Knicks Friday (hamstring)

Andrea BargnaniAndrea Bargnani will sit out a second straight game with a tight left hamstring, the Nets announced Thursday, meaning he’ll miss his first chance to face the Knicks since leaving the team this offseason.

Bargnani missed most of preseason with tightness in his left hamstring, though he returned in time to play in the first game of the regular season. He only played in three minutes Sunday night against the Detroit Pistons before the hamstring flared up again.

When asked about Bargnani Wednesday, coach Lionel Hollins said, per the New York Post: “Why do you keep asking me about Andrea every day? … Don’t ask nobody. When he’s ready to play, they’ll tell him, he’ll tell me and I’ll tell you.”

His minutes will likely go to Thomas Robinson, unless backup Willie Reed is ready to play following preseason thumb surgery.

Bargnani has averaged 5.9 points and 1.7 rebounds in 13.1 minutes per game this season. His defensive rating of 108.4 is the lowest on the Nets, per NBA.com.