Canadian forward Kris Joseph’s 10-day contract with the Nets expires at midnight but the prospects of his stay in Brooklyn appear to be pretty strong.
Joseph has only seen the floor for five minutes over a 10-day span but he has impressed both teammates and coaches alike with his work ethic.
“He’s going to stick around,” veteran Jerry Stackhouse told the Boston Herald while nodding toward the rookie as Joseph went through a more-than-rigorous pre-game workout Wednesday. “When you see a guy with a shirt that wet, you know he’ll be sticking around.”
Nets assistant coach Mario Elie expressed similar sentiments moments later.
“I like him,” Elie said. “It’s not just that he’s good. I like how hard he works.”
The Nets defeated Joseph’s former team, the Celtics, 101-93 on Wednesday night in Boston.
He was drafted by the Celtics last June in the second round of the NBA Draft after four stellar seasons at Syracuse. Boston liked Joseph as well but was forced to cut him in January for cap space and roster flexibility.
The Montreal native said he doesn’t hold a grudge against his former team.
“It was a business thing,” Joseph said. “I didn’t take it personally. This is a business, and that’s just the way it goes sometimes. I just feel I was fortunate to be here as long as I was.”
