With the Nets down to eight healthy bodies, it was a bit surprising to see a ninth smoothly gliding through offensive sets at the end of practice. At the top of the key, guard Keyon Dooling initiated a set, took a return pass in the left corner and ... missed the three.
While the jumper might be a bit rusty, Dooling's sense of humor is 100% intact. Having completed his first full (non-contact) practice of the season, Dooling couldn't help cracking wise:
"It felt pretty good ... with the exception of not being able to breathe," Dooling half-joked. "As long as I continue to gain strength and keep my cardio up, I’ll be back pretty soon."
Still recovering from offseason hip surgery, Dooling acknowledged that had the team been running fullcourt 5-on-5, he probably wouldn't have last more than two laps there-and-back.
At this early stage, the timetable has yet to advance beyond the previously established "end-of-November/early-December" date.
"He’s just taking small steps," said Nets coach Lawrence Frank. "He basically did just a little bit more than he did when we had him in Charlotte. We'll keep on throwing him out there. Every little bit’s important."
A Bandaged Boone
The media walked into practice to see Josh Boone sporting a heavy bandage on his right hand. Really, basketball gods? Really?
"No breaks," Boone confirmed, showing off a trio of sprained fingers. "I thought when I did it one of ’em was."
The forward's digits were bent backward by the protruding posterior of Celtics center Kendrick Perkins, who forcefully backed it up into Boone during Saturday's hard-fought loss. X-rays were negative, and Boone even managed to hit a free throw to help the team go 6-for-6 around the gym, ending practice.
"Oh, I hit a couple of them," said Boone, with a laugh. "But I had to kind of shoot it like that [makes a pushing motion with forefinger & thumb]. My thumb and my pointer finger and that was it."
Swingmen Swinging Back?
Coach said that CD-R's feeling "50-60 percent better," but cautioned that the swingman would likely need time to shake off fatigue. And Courtney Lee spent the day receiving treatment on his strained left groin. Tomorrow's a possibility for both of them, but it wouldn't be a surprise if both stayed on the sideline.
