The Brooklyn Nets rotation suffered another blow when NBA sharpshooter Joe Harris suffered an ankle injury. He has been sidelined for a few games already, but he is going to miss a lot more. It was revealed earlier this week that Harris will undergo surgery on his left ankle and be sidelined anywhere from four to eight weeks.
That is going to be a difficult injury for the Nets to overcome. They were already adjusting to life without starting point guard Kyrie Irving, who remains ineligible because he remains without the COVID-19 vaccine.
Harris was an integral part of the team’s success without Irving. With Irving’s downhill style of play, as he could get to the rim at will, the Nets became a more perimeter-orientated club.
DeAndre Jordan and Jeff Green no longer being on the team also played a part in the lack of paint presence and reliance on 3-pointers.
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It will be difficult to replace the shooting prowess of Harris, who was second in the NBA in 3-point percentage behind teammate Patty Mills. LaMarcus Aldridge was inserted into the starting lineup to help offset the loss of Harris as well as Deandre’ Bembry.
Deandre’ Bembry signed a one-year, minimum deal with the Brooklyn Nets in the offseason, but it was only partially guaranteed for $750K. He stepped into Harris’ starting role and has done as good a job as the Nets could have hoped for in replacing him.
Not only was Brooklyn missing Harris, but they have also been missing Bruce Brown, another versatile piece off the bench for the Nets. Bembry responded when called upon and head coach Steve Nash spoke very highly of his performance.
“He gives us some speed and athleticism; he gives us a defender out there who can guard No. 1 options on the other team, and he also is a cutter offensively for us. So he’s been great,” head coach Steve Nash said. “We’ve been working with him to really understand his role, and I think he’s been fantastic with his willingness to compete and to grow as a player. So, really proud of his effort and he’s getting better.”
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The Nets lost to the Phoenix Suns over the weekend by six points, but Deandre’ Bembry played arguably his best game of the season against him. He scored a season-high 19 points, making 9-of-11 shots from the field. He grabbed nine rebounds with one assist and two steals as well.
That performance impressed his teammates, namely Kevin Durant. Durant spoke highly of the St. Joseph’s product following the game.
“He played incredible [on Saturday] — playing defense on the ball, cutting to the rim, making himself available, rebounding,” Durant said, per Lewis. “We’re going to need that from him. He was a spark for us and he was one of the bright spots out there. So hopefully he can continue to build on this and keep getting better.”
While it would be unfair to expect Bembry to play at that level every night, it is encouraging for the Nets to know that they can rely on him for significant minutes and that he will make an impact when on the court.
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Bembry has done well enough to not only earn a permanent spot in the Nets’ rotation going forward but to have his contract guaranteed as well. It is a no-brainer for Brooklyn to convert Bembry’s contract to a fully guaranteed one as he has proven he can help the team out when they are shorthanded.
