After spending Wednesday afternoon in a swimsuit and Wednesday night in a business suit, Nene said he will try to suit up in his No. 31 jersey on Friday.
The Nuggets center said he will try to return against the Los Angeles Lakers. Nene suffered a right knee bone bruise in Sunday’s game and sat out Monday and Wednesday, though he did do swimming exercises and looked pretty spiffy on the Denver bench.
“I’m hoping (for Friday). I’ll do the therapy, do the exercise and try to feel comfortable,” said Nene, who leads the NBA in shooting percentage (.609). “There’s been a lot of pro- gress. Day by day it’s getting better.”
Nuggets athletic trainer Jim Gillen said Nene could return to court workouts today.
“He’s doing real well,” Gillen said. “I figured he would.”
Your move.
If the Nuggets want to add a player who can also be on the playoff roster, they will have to do so by Sunday. Nuggets coach George Karl desires a point guard, possibly veteran Sam Cassell. The Nuggets have inquired about a possible big man, too, though understanding they are just under the luxury tax as it is.
“We might do something or we might not do something,” Karl said. “We’re waiting for our phone to ring with a surprise, maybe. We’ve got our oars in the water. But I don’t think there’s anything definitive.”
Hawk soaring.
Entering last season, Karl was skeptical about Al Horford’s professional prospects — “I thought he was too small, I thought he’d be an undersized player who would have trouble figuring the game out.” Now the Florida product is averaging 10.4 points and 8.5 rebounds for the Hawks, after rookie averages of 10.1 and 9.7.
“I was wrong on him. The kid’s going to be a 10-10 guy for a long time,” Karl said. “He’s not flashy or spectacular, but at the end of the night he gives you a good defensive effort with 10 points and 10 rebounds.”
Benjamin Hochman, The Denver Post
