New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams is still on track to return on Wednesday, when the Nets take on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, according to the Bergen Record of Hackensack, N.J.
Williams, who has missed the last five games with a strained flexor tendon in his right wrist, has been upgraded to day to day by the organization but will not play against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night, coach Avery Johnson told the newspaper.
"I'll half-circle it," Johnson said of Williams' status for Wednesday, according to the paper. "It still could be circled, but I'm half-circling it. It's halfway circle."
Nothing had changed on Tuesday afternoon, with Williams taking part in shootaround but not scheduled to play.
Williams told the Record that his right wrist is feeling "really good right now" but knows that that could change. Ever since first suffering the injury on Jan. 26 as a member of the Utah Jazz, he's re-aggravated it several times. He thinks it would've been all right by now had he sat out immediately following the injury.
"It probably would have been good now," Williams told the newspaper. "But I was in Utah, we thought we were making a playoff push. If I would have known they were going to trade me, I would have just sat out."
Williams participated in the non-contact portion of Monday's practice.
Doctors have told Williams that he'll need to rest for three-to-six weeks for his right wrist to fully heal. However, he will not require surgery.
Williams told the Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J. on Sunday that he still wants to play another game this season, even though the Nets (23-49) are out of playoff contention.
"Yeah, I'm going to give it one more try," Williams told the newspaper before the Nets' 98-87 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night. "Hopefully, I don't hurt it again, which is hard to do, because everything's so instinctive, with your hands and with your wrist."
In eight games with the Nets, Williams is averaging 14.8 points and 13.1 assists, but is shooting just 32.7 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from 3-point range.
Mike Mazzeo is a regular contributor to ESPNNewYork.com.