Nets guards Seth Curry, Joe Harris won't be ready for opener

NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets guards Seth Curry (left ankle) and Joe Harris (left foot) will not be ready for the regular-season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday as they continue their respective rehab plans, the team announced Sunday.

Curry had offseason ankle surgery and has been able to do some 4-on-4 work in practice in recent days, but is still not ready to begin the year. Same goes for Harris, who had two ankle surgeries last season and was only able to play in 14 games during the 2021-22 season while dealing with ongoing ankle issues.

«I'm not concerned, I'm positive, I'm optimistic,» Nets coach Steve Nash said after Sunday's practice. «It's just not straight forward with guys coming off surgeries, assimilating back to play. It's not always like straight up. Sometimes you go through some adaptation issues. So I think those guys are facing that more than, 'Oh, the emergency lights are on and we're concerned.' I think we feel like this is just a part of them getting back to it.»

Nash made it clear that neither player had a setback over the last couple weeks. Harris said last week that while he was hopeful to play in the opener, he's been told by his doctor that the foot soreness he's dealing with is normal after going through an ankle reconstruction.

«It's well within the realm of normalcy for guys to have little hiccups on their way back from surgery,» Nash said.

Nash said that Curry may be a «hair behind» Harris in terms of a return to the floor, but both players are making progress. The Nets said they will have an update on both players' status on Thursday.

In the meantime, veteran guard Royce O'Neale is expected to start and get more minutes with Curry and Harris out. O'Neale said it didn't matter