Russell makes trip, staying engaged with team

MEMPHIS, Tenn., — D’Angelo Russell doesn’t have any idea when he’ll be ready to get back on the court. But the injured point guard joined his teammates on the current trip, with Russell, coach Kenny Atkinson and the other Nets saying it can only be a good thing to have him around, involved and engaged during his rehab.

“I’m feeling better and better every day. So yeah, it’s cool,” said Russell, who saw the Nets bet the Grizzlies 98-88 on Sunday at FedEx Forum. “I don’t know [the timeline]. Really, honestly I’m just trying to stay healthy and get as strong as I can before I get back out on the floor. It’s definitely not something I want to rush. …. I’m not really forcing anything, just doing what the trainers tell me day in and day out and go from there, see how I feel every day.”

Russell had arthroscopic surgery on Nov. 17 to remove loose bodies in his right knee. He insisted it had nothing to do with the 11 games he missed last season because of soreness in the same knee, and said he can come away from this stronger.

“It’s just more of a strength factor for me now. It’s not a reoccurring injury. It’s not something that affected me from last year,” Russell said. “So I’m just trying to go in every day and get my strength in and all that right before I go back on the court.”

Atkinson had said he wants constant input from Russell and Jeremy Lin. And for his part, Russell agreed on the importance of making the trip.

“Yeah for sure, it’s very important to have everybody out here,” Russell said. “I feel like it throws the team bonding off, the chemistry off when everybody’s not on the road and the faces that you’re used to aren’t there. So I definitely wanted to make that effort to be on this one.”

Allen Crabbe was a late scratch with a sore lower back and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson left the game in the second quarter with a sprained right ankle.

“[Crabbe] had back spasms. It locked up on him. It was last minute. Hopefully, he’ll be ready [Monday in Houston],” said Atkinson, who sounded less sure about Hollis-Jefferson. “To be determined. Rondae just told me he feels fine. But we’ll see. You never know with ankles. They swell up. We’ll check him out [Monday] morning.”

After not playing for four straight games, Timofey Mozgov logged 13:10. ... The Nets still have not applied for a Disabled Player Exception for Lin.