Williams to Miss Two Practices Deron Williams took an injection Friday to calm inflammation in his left ankle, forcing him to miss practice for the first time this month. Williams is also expected to miss Saturday's practice while his ankle recovers, but he is expected back no later than Monday, the team said. "We don't think it's anything serious," Coach Avery Johnson said on a video posted on the team's Web site. The official diagnosis is synovitis - an inflammation of soft tissue in the ankle joint. Williams had been dealing with intermittent pain, although it had not limited him until now. Johnson said the condition might have to be managed over the course of the season, but added, "He's going to play his normal minutes until something changes." Williams is expected to practice either Sunday or Monday, depending on how the schedule - and the weather - unfolds. The Nets are planning to practice Monday night at Barclays Center, after taking Sunday off. But if Hurricane Sandy forces them to cancel Monday's practice, they will work out Sunday instead. Williams played 30.4 minutes per game in the preseason, averaging 15.8 points and 5.4 assists. Keith Bogans (knee), Josh Childress (ankle) and Andray Blatche (flu) also missed practice Friday. The Nets open the season Thursday night against the Knicks.