The Brooklyn Nets have played eight of their nine games to open the year down at least two starters, with Nic Claxton and Cam Johnson sustaining injuries during their season-opener. Claxton and Johnson's absences are a significant blow to Brooklyn's size, defensive versatility, and floor-spacing, three focal points of their new-look identity.

However, both players are trending in the right direction. The Nets assigned Johnson and Claxton to their G-League affiliate in Long Island on Wednesday, and head coach Jacque Vaughn said they participated in scrimmages with no setbacks.

“Cam and Nic were able to participate and scrimmage in the second half of practice. Both got up and down and had no adverse reaction,” Vaughn said Wednesday. “I have no timeline for those two. Really just exposing them to a different atmosphere of playing and scrimmaging. You don't get that opportunity a bunch throughout the course of the year, and both made it through it.”

Johnson bruised his calf during a season-opening loss to Cleveland. An MRI later revealed a strain, and the Nets announced on Oct. 30 that he would be reevaluated in 10 days. Brooklyn listed Johnson as doubtful for Wednesday's matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers, marking the first time he wasn't ruled out on an initial injury report since sustaining the injury.

Claxton suffered what he later revealed was a high ankle sprain against the Cavaliers. While he wouldn't provide a timeline, Vaughn said Johnson is closer to a return of the two.

“I don't want to compare the two; they're two different entries and they both have their own pace of getting back,” he said. “They're both improving, but we listed Cam Johnson as doubtful, which probably means that he's closer to playing than Nic is. That's a fair assessment.”

The Nets have embraced a small-ball, five-out lineup with Ben Simmons pushing the pace during Claxton and Johnson's absences. Brooklyn is averaging the second-most fastbreak points in the league (20.7) and has the NBA's sixth-best offensive rating during that span. However, they've suffered on the other end without Claxton's elite rim protection, ranking 25th in defensive rating while allowing the tenth-most points in the paint in the league.

While Claxton will miss more time, Johnson's doubtful tag on Wednesday should give him an outside chance to return when Brooklyn travels to Boston on Friday.

“I'm always going to lean into the comfort of the athlete,” Vaughn said. “Today I was able to see with my eyes Cam Johnson play and Nic Claxton play. When they come to me and say, ‘JV, I'm ready to go', I’ll say, ‘Let’s go.'”