Nets got soem tough news about one of their top rookies
Dariq Whitehead, the 22nd pick in the 2023 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets, will undergo season-ending surgery on a stress reaction in his left shin. It will mark the shooting guard’s third lower leg surgery in the last 18 months.
Whitehead, the nation’s No. 2 prospect in the Class of 2022 per ESPN, saw his freshman season at Duke derailed after he was forced to undergo surgery on his left foot ahead of the season. He averaged 8.3 points on 42.1 percent shooting for the Blue Devils, primarily serving as a catch-and-shoot threat while limited as a ball handler and finisher.
Whitehead then needed another surgery to address the foot fracture in June ahead of the draft, performed by Nets team orthopedist Dr. Martin O’Malley. The first-round pick appeared in two NBA games this season. He played 17 games in the G-League, averaging 8.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists on 38/27/85 shooting splits in 18.5 minutes per night.
Despite Whitehead’s health struggles, Nets general manager Sean Marks did not lack conviction when speaking about his draft selection. Brooklyn’s performance team has experience with foot injuries, having successfully rehabbed Caris Levert, who also underwent surgery by O’Malley after the 2016 draft.
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