Brooklyn Nets rookie Mikel Brown Jr. remains without a timetable to return after rolling his left ankle last week, as the team prioritizes a full recovery over a quick comeback.
Brown has resumed limited on-court work in practice but had not been cleared for contact as of Thursday. The rookie, considered central to Brooklyn’s rebuilding plans, says he’s eager to get back but is trying to stay patient.
“Yeah, as of right now they’re just telling me you could get back moving a little bit, really just trying to get the strengthening it up back,” Brown said. “I mean, I am back on the court moving. That’s all I’m really worried about right now. I’m just taking it one step at a time.”
Brown said the Nets’ training staff hasn’t laid out the exact next step in his rehab, and admitted patience doesn’t come naturally to him.
“I feel like I have no choice but to be patient,” Brown said. “I want to be out there so bad, but they’ve just been emphasizing to me, ‘Let’s take our time with this stuff and get you back 100 percent,’ which me, I’m trying to play as soon as possible. So really just attacking this rehab, focusing on stuff that I can control.”
The Nets have not disclosed the severity of Brown’s injury or offered a projected return date. Brooklyn opens the preseason Tuesday in Charlotte, with three more exhibition games before the regular-season opener on Oct. 21 against the Hornets in Brooklyn.
Asked whether he expects to see any live preseason action, Brown deferred to the team’s medical staff.
“I mean, that’s up to the performance staff,” Brown said. “I’m just doing what I can to get back on the court as of right now.”
Other camp notes
Asked who has stood out most in camp so far, forward Michael Porter Jr. singled out guard Keon Ellis.
“Keon has been hooping these first [few] days,” Porter said. “He plays the right way. He plays defense. He can really shoot the ball, and he’s been just overall very solid.”
Porter and Julius Randle have been kept on separate sides in camp drills under head coach Jordi Fernández, and the two did not play together Thursday, when Fernández ran a no-contact session to rest players’ legs ahead of a heavier workload Friday.
“When you’re tired, you can lose it easily. And [Thursday] being a non-contact session and a session that it’s more mental with the film and the walk-throughs and installing new things, your brain needs to be there,” Fernández said. “It was very positive like an active recovery where you still need to advance. … It was a great day. And then [Friday], it’s going to be a big high-load game day with a lot of playing. And players, they love to play, so they’re excited about tomorrow.”
