Nets swingman Joe Harris estimates he would have been sidelined for about a month if the NBA hadn’t gone on hiatus in March, according to a NetsDaily story. In an interview with UVA Today, a publication by the University of Virginia, Harris said he suffered a severe ankle sprain in Brooklyn’s final game before the shutdown.
“So I was going to be out a month, no matter what, and then (the hiatus) went down literally the next day,” Harris said. “I wasn’t even with the team. I flew back to New York with one of our trainers, and we were supposed to play at Golden State (on March 12). The rest of the team was in San Francisco, and they just had to pack up their stuff and leave from there.”
Harris confirmed that he has fully healed and will be ready to play whenever the NBA season resumes. He said the injury gave him an opportunity to work with team trainers, which only players who are doing rehab work are permitted to do under lockdown regulations. However, Harris wasn’t able to use the practice court or any basketballs in his workouts.
“The only loophole that I have right now is that the NBA allowed guys that were in the midst of rehab go into the facility and work with the trainer, so I’ve been able to do that for the last few weeks,” Harris said. “But when I go in, I have to wear a mask and gloves the entire time, and only you and the trainer are allowed in there.
“… Everything’s shut down. I just do rehab, and I do it with one trainer, and it’s just the two of us in the entire facility, so it’s a little strange, because when you go in there, it’s usually hustling and bustling, with a lot going on and good energy, and now there’s just two of you in there.”
Harris also spoke briefly about free agency, saying he hasn’t “really thought about it a ton.” After four productive years in Brooklyn, Harris is in position for a sizable raise from the $7.7MM he’s making this season. The Nets will have to decide if he is worth the investment after spending heavily to add Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan last summer.
“It’s one of those things where I’ll just sort of cross that bridge when I get to it,” Harris said. “Right now all the focus is on prioritizing your health and well-being. I’m really more worried about that versus anything basketball-related, to be honest.”
Well it’s good to see that the whole “putting the country on pause” deal has worked perfectly for at least one person.