Ben Simmons has yet to play a game for the Brooklyn Nets.
Head coach Steve Nash gave Simmons an update today and said he has some 4v4 work and things are going well. While that sounds great, it feels like we’ve heard, “he’s almost ready” all season. When will Ben Simmons play?
I didn’t think he would play in an NBA game this season. The regular season part of that has come true, and it looks like the same will be said for the post-season. It looks like this sudden back injury Simmons is dealing with could thwart any comeback plans. We’ve seen clips of Simmons on the field before. So I’m not going to get too engrossed in the video of Simmons hurling himself in the gym, at one-and-a-half times the speed.
But the Nets are leading 1-0 and could be trailing 2-0 by the time their first series moves back to Brooklyn. If that happens, will we see Simmons return for a third or fourth Game with the season potentially coming up? If the Nets fail in the series’ second game, Simmons could become an immediate necessity for them to get through the first round.
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As NBA fans, we’re all hoping to see Simmons in action at this point, but if he’s ever to return, there’s no better time than now. Like most of you, I’m still wondering how bad his back is since he hasn’t played for a whole year. You would think Simmons would be the newest player on the team, if not the entire tournament.
Even if Simmons can only get back 15-20 minutes in his first few games, the Nets need his size because that’s an area they’re lacking. I honestly think the Nets front office is looking to next year with Simmons, but if he can return in post-season time, then of course, they’ll accept that.
Brooklyn isn’t the deepest team in the NBA, so adding an All-NBA player like Simmons to the roster would pay huge dividends. I don’t care that he hasn’t played all season. There is no pressure for Ben to score on this Nets team. If Simmons can defend and facilitate the attack, Brooklyn can immediately capitalize on those aspects of his game.
It felt like Ben was inside his own head. And it’s probably a lingering effect from game seven against the Atlanta Hawks in last year’s playoffs. After all, that game and the post-game press conference is what led to Simmons deciding he would have enough Philadelphia. If that’s really the case, I understand. But back injuries remain a mystery to most people.
The Nets continued to provide small updates on Simmons’ status, nothing more than a tease. In addition to the update given by Nash above, there is also a recent update that shows Simmons as “no pain“Now. Obviously, this is why he is allowed to play 4v4. But how long will it take from this point on for Ben to return to the field in uniform?
Large as Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving they need more help. That’s why the franchise went and traded to James Harden last season. Obviously, that didn’t work out. But now, it’s time for Simmons to return to court. If we don’t see Simmons in game three or four of this series against Boston, it probably won’t happen anytime soon. Like most of you, I believe Simmons is ready to return when I see him in for a game.
