The New Jersey Nets may shut down point guard Deron Williams for the rest of the season, according to a report in the Bergen (N.J.) Record.
Williams aggravated his ailing strained right wrist on a drive to the basket in the third quarter of the Nets' 105-95 road loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. Coach Avery Johnson told The Associated Press he wanted to take Williams out of the game, but the All-Star asked to continue playing.
Williams finished with 18 points and nine assists but shot 4-for-13 from the field.
"I love playing basketball," Williams said, according to the Record. "I hate sitting out. I hate missing games. It's tough for me because I don't just want to sit out. It might be the best thing, but we'll see how it goes.
"I can't shoot. I think about it every time I take a shot. It affects me mentally and it's weighing on me."
Johnson told The Associated Press the team "is very concerned and it's something we're going to have a deep discussion about."
Johnson said it would take "about four to six weeks" of rest for Williams' wrist to fully heal. Williams has maintained that he's been told by doctors that it should take three to four weeks.
"I need to rest," Williams told the Record. "Until I do that, it's going to hurt and I'm going continue to be frustrated. This is affecting me so much mentally now. It's frustrating.
"I like going up against top point guards. I like matchups. I like to do well in those matchups. I've had a tough time doing that because I can't play my game. It's frustrating but I'm ready to get healthy and get back to being me."
Williams suffered the injury back in January when he was a member of the Utah Jazz. It's been bothering him ever since. However, Williams has continued to play through the pain, saying "the Nets didn't trade for me to sit."
But with the Nets seven games behind the eighth-place Pacers with just 14 games left, it's likely too late for a playoff push, and it might be time for Williams to sit out and get healthy.
Mike Mazzeo is a regular contributor to ESPNNewYork.com.