D-Will is back after all. The Brooklyn Nets announced that point guard Deron Williams will return to the active roster after missing the past 11 games with a fracture to the cartilage portion of his lower 12th rib.
Williams will come off the bench, and coach Lionel Hollins said his time on the court will come down to his conditioning and comfort level on the floor. The Nets will trot out Jarrett Jack, Alan Anderson, Joe Johnson, Kevin Garnett, and Mason Plumlee to open the game, their usual starting five as of late.
Williams first injured the rib on January 4th, in an 88-84 loss against the Miami Heat. After sitting out one game, he returned January 7th against the Boston Celtics, playing just four minutes before re-aggravating the injury.
In 32 games (25 starts), Williams has averaged 13.9 points and 6.3 assists in 31.3 minutes per game, shooting 39.6 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from three-point range.
