Coach Kidd sees progress stunted with on-going injury problems.
The Brooklyn Nets will be without Paul Pierce for between two to four weeks after the veteran star suffered a broken bone in his right hand.
The former Boston Celtics star has sustained a non-displaced fracture of the third metacarpal of his shooting hand, which will be another blow for the struggling Nets.
With pre-season aspirations of winning an NBA championship, the expensively assembled Brooklyn roster has been rocked by injuries throughout the season thus far, which has further impacted on their struggles on the court.
Rookie coach Jason Kidd has been unable to maintain consistency in his selections, and the Nets currently sit at the wrong end of the Eastern Conference with a 5-12 record.
Kevin Garnett and Brook Lopez have recently returned from injury, but Pierce will now be sidelined along with the likes of Deron Williams, Jason Terry and Andrei Kirilenko.
“Injuries are a part of the game,” Kidd told reporters, according to ESPN.
“You just hope that there are speedy recoveries. And for the guys in that locker room that can play, I believe in each one of those guys and that we can find a way to win until we do get whole.”
Pierce will now miss the first showdown with the New York Knicks on Thursday night, as well as his first clash against the Celtics next Tuesday since leaving in the summer.
The 36-year-old was involved in a war of words with the likes of J.R. Smith and Raymond Felton during the off-season, while his much anticipated first encounter with Boston will now have to be delayed.
Nevertheless, Pierce is confident that his team-mates can continue their hard work to turn things around without him, although the pressure continues to build on the star-studded line-up.
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