Nets’ Drake Powell ruled out of game against Raptors after third right ankle sprain of season

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Brooklyn Nets rookie Drake Powell has been sidelined with another right ankle injury. After leaving Friday’s loss to the Miami Heat with a sprained right ankle, the Nets ruled Powell out of Sunday’s home game against the Toronto Raptors.

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Powell sprained his ankle in the first quarter of the Heat’s loss and was quickly ruled out. The No. 22 pick sprained the same ankle twice early in the season after missing most of the offseason with left knee tendinopathy.

Powell was walking around the Nets locker room after the game without a boot and only a slight limp. Still, a third sprain of the same ankle, not even a third of the way through the season, could keep him out for an extended period of time.

Nets rookie Drake Powell out of Raptors game with ankle injury

Powell was somewhat of a man of mystery after not participating in Summer League and missing six games in the first few weeks of the season. However, the rookie wing has made an impact over the past month as a full-time member of Brooklyn’s rotation.

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Powell averaged 7.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists with shooting times of .475/.378/.952 in 21.3 minutes per game in 15 appearances, in which he played more than 10 minutes.

Despite a 13.9 percent usage rate as a freshman at North Carolina, the 19-year-old showed his potential as an on-ball creator while continuing to shoot respectably from three. Defensively, he used his seven-foot wingspan and explosive athleticism to disrupt opposing guards and wings.

With Powell sidelined, compatriot Nolan Traore could benefit from his first extended NBA opportunity in more than six weeks. The Nets called up Traore last week after a stellar run in the G League. However, he only played 18 minutes total in two games.

Related: Nets’ Jordi Fernandez explains Nolan Traore’s limited minutes during NBA call-up

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