Gerald Wallace will not play tonight against the San Antonio Spurs because of a bruised right knee, the Brooklyn Nets announced. Reggie Evans will start in his place at power forward, next to Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Keith Bogans, and Brook Lopez.
Wallace has been the team’s fulcrum all season when healthy; though a cursory look at his numbers suggest a pedestrian year (10.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game on 42.6% shooting, with a 14.0 PER), the team has appreciated his constant aggressiveness and versatility on both sides, particularly in its most recent small-ball starting lineup.
The silver lining: Lopez & Evans rank as the best two-man Nets big men combo on the defensive end, as the team allows just 91.7 points per 100 possessions with the two sharing the floor.
