The Washington Wizards plan to be cautious with forward Nene when training camp starts Oct. 5, general manager Ernie Grunfeld said Tuesday at the team's media day. Grunfeld said the Wizards don't expect Nene to be ready for two-a-days when training camp opens, and the plan is to slowly work the Brazil native back as he recovers from plantar fasciitis that he aggravated during the 2012 Olympics.
The 6'11, 250-pound forward is expected to be ready before the regular season, but because of his history with the injury, Washington is willing to be wait until he's completely healed.
In March, the Wizards acquired Nene in a three-way trade involving the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers. In just 11 regular-season games with Washington, Nene started six of them, averaging 14.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Entering the 2012-13 season, Nene is expected to be one of the top two players on the Wizards' roster.
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