In a conference call today, Brooklyn Nets coach Avery Johnson said that Brook Lopez will not play Friday vs. the Golden State Warriors, and that his return to the court will come Sunday at the earliest.
“(We) had a chance to do a little light individual workout with him today,” Johnson said. “He’s feeling better, but he’s got to be able to get through a full contact practice before he’ll be released to play, and we’re not sure at that point when that’s going to happen. … We’re seeing how he recovers today, that’ll dictate what he does tomorrow.”
Lopez has been out since injuring his right foot (deemed a mild right foot sprain by team doctors) on November 28th against the Boston Celtics. “They ruled out serious injury when we got the MRI,” Johnson said, “then it was about trying to get him back on his feet, out of the boot, get him walking around on the treadmill so he can build some confidence.”
Johnson added that Lopez currently feels no pain in the foot, and his recovery will come when he’s comfortable moving laterally and playing in full-contact practice. “We’re not going to be super conservative and make him sit out 2, 3, 4, 5 games when he should play.”
Additionally, Johnson noted that power forward Reginald “Reggie” Evans is “feeling much better” after sitting out Tuesday’s game with the flu and that he’s “very hopeful” that Evans will play tomorrow night. No other Nets players have experienced symptoms.