The Brooklyn Nets will be without rookie Mikel Brown Jr. during Sunday's back-to-back against the Dallas Mavericks. Despite being healthy, Brown has not yet been cleared for back-to-backs. Jordi Fernandez explained why on Saturday.
“It's not my thinking. It's like a plan that we have with professionals that know exactly about how your body is, how you feel after,” Fernandez said following the Nets' 124-121 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. “Then we assess the player. And then once we assess the player, then we keep building him up. So right now he's not going to play back-to-backs, and obviously we'll let you know when he does. There's no reason why we want to disclose that information right now. We're happy with where he is. He's playing well. He's doing great things. His body is where we want it to be, and we want him to keep getting better. If we play him in a back-to-back, the risk is going to be that, you know, his condition will probably decrease and there's going to be more risk. So we're not willing to take that risk.”
Brown missed the second half of his freshman season at Louisville due to a back injury. He then missed most of training camp and the preseason due to an ankle injury.
Nets' Mikel Brown Jr. trusting process amid minutes restriction to start season
The No. 6 pick has been on a minutes restriction to start the season, averaging 23.1 per game across his first seven NBA games. While he's looked good physically and appears capable of playing more minutes, he's trusting Brooklyn's medical staff.
“It’s all about getting stronger,” Brown told The New York Post's Brian Lewis on Saturday. “This is my first year playing against this type of high level of athletes. You’ve got to be at an elite performance level body-wise. But that’s just the everyday process when it comes to that stuff. I’m constantly in the weight room every day just strengthening the parts of my body I need to strengthen. But yeah, that’s us going along with the plan. I’m all aboard with it. As long as we’re winning games, that’s all I care about.
I’ve just been leaning on my performance staff. My body feels great. Just take it slow. It’s an 82-game season. We want to be in a position to make the playoffs, so every game matters, but they’re just like, ‘the long run, the long run.’ So taking it a game at a time, a day at a time, and attacking it. Everything’s fine. I don’t look at (social) media like that, but yes, everything’s fine. My body’s great, just continuing to build.”
Article Continues BelowBrown delivered his best performances of the season in the Nets' last two games. The rookie posted 18 points and four assists on 6-of-11 shooting during Wednesday's 114-104 win over the Charlotte Hornets. He missed his first seven shots vs. the Hawks on Saturday before scoring 13 fourth-quarter points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 from three.
For the season, Brown has averaged 12.9 points on 34.6 percent shooting from the field and 31.1 percent from three, with 3.9 assists and 2.1 turnovers per game across seven appearances.
The Nets will also be without Egor Demin during Sunday's matchup with the Mavericks. Demin has missed Brooklyn's last five games due to a right leg bone bruise.