When Sergey Karasev made his preseason debut for the Nets in Saturday afternoon’s loss to the 76ers in Albany, it was exactly seven months after he’d crumpled to the ground in a heap inside Barclays Center after dislocating his patella and tearing his MCL in his right knee in a game against the Pelicans.
Those seven months left Karasev with plenty of time to think about himself, and his game, as he tried to rehab his knee and get back into playing condition. That time for reflection led Karasev to declare at media day that the Nets would see “a new Sergey” this season.