Banged-up Nets Ben Simmons, Nic Claxton practice ahead of big showdown with Celtics

The Nets are facing their toughest test of the year just as they’re getting to be their healthiest this season.The Nets tip off a road trip Friday at reigning champion Boston, and both Ben Simmons and Nic Claxton practiced on Wednesday afternoon.How coach Jordi Fernandez opts to deploy them bears watching.With Claxton having missed the entire preseason and spent most of this season ramping his way back up to a full workload, he made his first start Monday against Memphis.

Simmons has been starting at center in lieu of Claxton but isn’t playing both ends of back-to-backs, so he was rested Monday and Oct.29 against Denver.With questions swirling around the duo and how the Nets would space the floor with both non-shooters playing alongside each other, Claxton and Simmons have logged just eight minutes together and are a plus-12.Trendon Watford appears to be inching closer to making his season debut.

The forward has been out since straining his hamstring in October early in training camp.“The rest of the guys, everybody is pretty much the same.With Trendon, we’ll know soon, probably [Thursday].

But he’ll be back soon,” Fernandez said.Injured Day’Ron Sharpe, who turned 23 on Wednesday, was on the court as practice wound down working with assistant Juwan Howard.“He’s great.His spirits are up,” Cam Johnson said of Sharpe.

“He’s working hard and getting ready to get back.”Fernandez praised Sharpe’s impact on morale, but offered no update on a time frame.The backup center has a strained left hamstring and the Nets said on Oct.

7 that he’d be evaluated in six weeks.“No update,” Fernandez said.“He’s in a very good place.

He’s a happy person.He works hard.

That’s what I can tell you about him.So it’s good to have his energy, because even though he is not participating with the group the whole time, he brings that energy.

When we [have] to win, he brought it.He spoke in front of the team.

That is important for us.His voice.

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