The Nets’ injury situation could be downgraded from full-blown crisis to just plain bad.
After the Nets had eight men out in Monday’s loss at Chicago, they’ve seen three starters upgraded to questionable for Wednesday’s games against Indiana.
Power forward Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle sprain), small forward Cam Johnson (left ankle sprain) and point guard Ben Simmons (left knee soreness) — all of whom missed the Bulls game — have at least a chance to suit up against the Pacers.
They’ll be desperately needed.
Simmons told The Post he expects to play on Wednesday.
Bojan Bogdanovic (left foot injury recovery), Noah Clowney (left ankle sprain), Cam Thomas (left hamstring strain), Ziaire Williams (left knee sprain) and Jalen Martin (G League — two-way) are all out.
The Nets enter Wednesday’s game against the Pacers having dropped three straight, matching their longest skid of the season.
After getting beaten by 13 on the boards in Chicago, the Nets entered Tuesday night dead last in the league in rebounding percentage at 46.6. They were also third-worst in offensive rebounding percentage and fourth-worst in defensive rebounding percentage.
It’s a glaring weakness they hope the return of Day’Ron Sharpe can help address.
The backup center — Top 3 in the league a year ago in both rebounding percentage and offensive rebounding percentage — had been sidelined with a hamstring injury suffered in camp until finally making his debut Monday.
Sharpe showed his innate rebounding instincts against the Bulls, but was clearly rusty. He got his hands on a number of loose balls but couldn’t corral them.
“It was good. Definitely good to see,” starting center Nic Claxton said of Sharpe. “He’s been grinding [and] working. Working real hard to get back from a tough hamstring injury. So it’s nice to have the twin towers back.”
Claxton had 11 points and eight boards against Chicago, both figures his best since returning from a lower back strain and back soreness, managing a situation that has nagged him since the offseason.
“I think I’m getting there. I’m healing [and] feeling a little bit better. Just trying to keep myself mentally in a good place and I feel like everything else will follow physically,” Claxton said. “You know if I need to take a game here and there. But just listening to my body and pushing myself as much as I can.”
