Nets center Jarrett Allen finds it eerie to be going on the road
Nets center Jarrett Allen is defended by Wizards center Moritz Wagner during a preseason game at Barclays Center on Sunday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The last time the Nets played a true road game was March 10 in a win over the Lakers at Staples Center. They flew to San Francisco later that night to be in place for a game that never was played after the NBA suspended play on March 11 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When play resumed in July, every game was played in a "bubble" environment at Disney World in Orlando, and the Nets were missing seven players because of injuries or illness. So, center Jarrett Allen admitted, "It definitely felt weird to pack" his suitcase on Wednesday night in anticipation of traveling to Boston after practice on Thursday before facing the Celtics in the preseason finale Friday night.
"You’ve just got to take it one step at a time," Allen said. "We know there’s going to be a lot more difficulty because there’s going to be just a whole different vibe going on the road, going on the team plane. If everybody takes it one step at a time, tries to not overthink, try to make it as normal as possible, then, I think we can get back to the usual."
Spencer Dinwiddie and DeAndre Jordan were among the Nets who tested positive for COVID-19 and did not play in the bubble, and Taurean Prince and former Net Wilson Chandler stayed home as a precaution.
Asked if he had asked teammates who were infected how they handled virus, Allen said, "They didn’t really go into too much depth about it, but we all know that we want to avoid it. Having somebody catch COVID at this point this season when we’re starting, right when we’re trying to build everything together, that would be devastating. Everybody wants to take it super serious. Everybody’s following the protocol to the best of their ability."
Notes and quotes: Nic Claxton (right knee tendinopathy) and Elie Okobo (not yet with team) both are out in Boston.
Greg Logan has worked for Newsday since 1982 covering a wide array of sports and events, currently including the Brooklyn Nets beat.
