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It’s a new team and the same old story for Andrea Bargnani.
The Italian power forward, who has been dogged by injury troubles throughout his nine-year NBA career – specifically over the past two seasons with the Knicks – will miss Monday’s preseason opener for the Nets against Turkish power Fenerbahce Ulker because of a tight left hamstring.
Bargnani sat out the first 13 games of last season with the Knicks because of a right hamstring strain he suffered in the preseason opener, and wound up missing 49 of the first 51 games because of that injury and another to his right calf.
It was just more of the same for a player who has played in just 137 of a possible 312 games over the past four years – including just 71 over the past two years and 29 last season.
“You cannot do anything about it, so there’s nothing you can do,” Bargnani said last week of dealing with injuries. “It’s just extremely frustrating.
“That’s the worst thing I’ve endured in my career, is sitting out so many games. You just sit and you work and try to keep working, being there with your head, and you try to do as much as possible so you don’t go crazy.”
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Andrea Bargnani drives against Jonas Valanciunas (of Lithuania and the Toronto Raptors) while playing for Italy during the Eurobasket tournament in September.Photo: AFP/Getty Images
Bargnani, the No. 1 overall pick in 2006 by the Raptors, participated in every workout for the Nets last week at training camp after playing all summer for the Italian national team in Eurobasket, helping his country to a sixth-place finish despite playing with an ankle sprain and a right calf strain.
He said he felt good after the long summer, and getting a chance to play again over the summer had helped him.
“I feel good,” Bargnani said. “I like to work. We’re in a lot of drills, so everyone’s legs are heavy, but that’s how you’re supposed to feel. We’re putting in a lot of work to put all the offensive plays and offensive principles, as well as the defensive rules. There’s a lot of stuff coming in, but I think we’re handling it well.”
After last Thursday’s practice, Bargnani spent half-hour in a “long” stretching routine he does on occasion. He said he’s alternating different treatments after practices to try to keep himself healthy.
“Yesterday I did a lot of ice, [went in the] ice tub, today I did a lot of stretching,” he said. “I’ve got different things to alternate, just to mix it up.”
Bargnani’s signing this summer came as a surprise. It seemed he was about to sign with the Kings on a multi-million dollar contract when he suddenly agreed with the Nets on a one-year deal (with a player option for the veteran’s minimum for a second season).
Nets coach Lionel Hollins expressed optimism about the 7-footer both before and during camp. After Bargnani and Brook Lopez played together during long stretches of Friday’s half-hour scrimmage, Hollins said you could expect to see some of that combination this season.
“I like Bargnani,” Hollins said. “I think he’s been a breath of fresh air. He shoots the ball, he’s very versatile, and he’s able to play with anybody we put with him on the court.”
In order to play with anybody, though, Bargnani has to be healthy. And, at least for the time being — again — he isn’t.
