Wizards' Nene out vs. Raptors with strained calf

Nene won't be able to help the Washington Wizards this weekend.

When asked about his availability for Saturday's contest against the Toronto Raptors, the power forward kept it short and sweet.

"Impossible," Nene told Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post.

The lumbering Brazilian re-aggravated his calf strain during Friday's loss to the Boston Celtics. He first sustained the injury a week earlier, but it flared up once again as Nene took to the court in Boston.

The 33-year-old was relegated to the bench this season as the Wizards moved toward playing a faster, up-tempo style. That change, however, seems to have backfired in the early going as newfangled stretch-four Kris Humphries hasn't played up to par.

Nene, meanwhile, continues to be a solid two-way presence. He's only playing 17.4 minutes per game, but he's posting averages of 7.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in his limited time on the court. The Wizards have also been decidedly better (plus-17.7 per 100 possessions) with Nene on the floor.

DeJuan Blair soaked up most of Nene's minutes Friday.