Nachbar may gain through pain

David Waldstein By David Waldstein The Star-Ledger
on April 08, 2008 at 3:00 AM, updated April 08, 2008 at 3:15 AM

Vince Carter isn't the only Nets player who refuses to give up on a fading season despite an injury.

Boki Nachbar has been playing through a painful disc injury in his lower back for weeks which, in some ways, is more impressive than what Carter is doing because Nachbar is making a sacrifice for a team he may not even be playing for next year.

Nachbar's team-first attitude in a contract year has not gone unnoticed by Nets president Rod Thorn, who said Nachbar's dedication to the team will be factored in this summer when he decides whether to re-sign the 27-year-old forward.

"When you're trying to assess players, the ones who care and the ones who give you all they have are valuable," Thorn said. "Certainly you take that into consideration.

"It says a lot about him that he's still out there playing. Even though our chances don't look very good right now, he's still out there competing. But that's the kind of guy Boki is."

As a free agent at the end of the season, Nachbar is taking a risk by continuing to play, especially when there's only a mathematical chance of the Nets making the playoffs. It's doubtful he would injure it further, but if he did, it could seriously impair his financial prospects over the summer.

But Nachbar said he expects to continue playing even if the Nets get eliminated before the last game.

"I'll play it out," he said. "I want to keep playing and keep helping the team."

Nachbar was one of several players who showed up at an optional practice yesterday, which impressed the head coach.

"Nachbar deserves a lot of credit," Lawrence Frank said. "It would be very easy to take some time off. He's in a lot of pain, but similar to Vince, he's very determined to want to finish it out."

Josh Boone is questionable for tomorrow's game against the Cavaliers because of the sprained right knee he suffered Saturday against Toronto. He received treatment yesterday and will try to play with a brace.

Frank was optimistic DeSagana Diop (knee) would be able to play tomorrow against his former team.

Not that he has taken his eyes off of the next opponent, but Frank conceded yesterday that the Nets basically have to win all five of their remaining games to have even a remote chance at making the playoffs.

"Well, I would say that, yeah," he said. "We've just got to focus in on our next game. We've got to focus in on Cleveland. Just take it one at a time. You never know what can happen. But the only chance you give yourself is by winning games. If you don't win your games, a lot of that stuff doesn't come into play."

If the Nets do win the rest of their games the Hawks, who are four games ahead of the Nets, would still have to do no better than 1-4. And the Pacers, who are a game ahead of the Nets in ninth place, would have to lose at least one game. The Nets own the tiebreaker against the Pacers. The teams split four games, but the Nets have a better conference record.