LAS VEGAS — Dingsanity Interrupted.
The player with the most buzz on the Nets’ summer-league team isn’t first-round pick Dzanan Musa, or even rotation players Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert. It’s Ding Yanyuhang — nicknamed Dingsanity, the two-time reigning MVP of the Chinese Basketball Association.
Now the question is when he’ll actually play.
Ding participated in parts of practice Thursday, and the Nets are denying Chinese reports that he’s essentially been ruled out for summer league with a right knee injury, but it’s still up in the air whether the 24-year-old guard will play in Friday’s opener versus Orlando.
“Don’t have any update. He’ll be able to talk to you about that, but he has participated at some points with us, yes,” said assistant Jacque Vaughn, who will coach the summer-league squad.
“He did some practice [Thursday], he did some practice [Wednesday]. It’s not determined what he’s going to look like [Friday].
“A lot of guys, we’ll wait and see to make that determination. We’ll sit down as a group and come together and see what’s best for all those guys.”
Ding declined interview requests through an interpreter. While his status is unclear, it’s crystal clear he has a huge following after averaging 26 points for Shandong to win another MVP. He made news when he came to New York to train with Chris Brickley – who has worked with Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony — and then work out with the Nets, including Jeremy Lin.
Tencent Sports reported that Ding had declined a two-way contract, and that after being diagnosed with tendinitis and undergoing acupuncture Wednesday was warned he could miss a month if he played in summer league. The Nets denied a two-way offer was made or rejected, and said his availability hasn’t been determined.
If Ding does play, he will surprise a lot of people, according to summer-league teammate Semaj Christon, who faced him in China.
“He’s real good. He’s going to surprise a lot of people. He’s athletic, super-athletic. I think he’ll surprise a lot of people,” said Christon, who averaged 27.8 points for Guangzhou Long-Lions and took a liking to Ding’s flashy game.
“He can play. He got a little swag to his game, so I like him a lot. I like him a lot. … He was good, super-athletic. He could play, could shoot, he played super, super hard.
“It’s going to be a jump. But once you get here and learn the game and learn the system, it’s like, you’ll be all right. Basketball is basketball at the end of the day. It isn’t too big of a jump. I mean, it’s going to be a jump for anybody that comes to the NBA and tries to play. He’ll just be around and learn the game and get stronger. I think it’ll take care of itself. Like I said, he can play. He’ll be all right.”
Several Nets who have been practicing with Ding for weeks concurred.
“He’s very skilled, very athletic, very competitive, too,’’ LeVert said. “We like those things. Especially a new teammate, you like to see he’s very competitive. And he fits all those box for sure.”
“He’s a great dude. He can really shoot the ball. Yeah, he’s a good guy,” Spencer Dinwiddie told Tencent at the NBA Awards ceremony — adding that Ding speaks enough English to get by on the court.
“It’s OK. He’s got enough to get by right now. We’re good on the court.”
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