To say that there should be considerable concern over Ben Simmons' health would be an understatement. Simmons entered the 2023-24 looking more like the Simmons of yore, which is exquisite news for a Brooklyn Nets team that hasn't quite gotten the best out of him since acquiring him in the James Harden trade of 2022. However, he's been out for the Nets since November 6 due to a back injury, and there are no indications of an imminent return for the 27-year old point forward.

It's gotten to the point where Simmons needed to get an epidural injection on his back to reduce the pain; this is the sort of injection doctors administer to women during childbirth to reduce labor-induced pain, which just goes to show how severe the Nets forward's injury has gotten.

Nonetheless, Ben Simmons' agent, Bernard Lee, contends that his client isn't “damaged goods”. Lee then proceeds to compare the Nets forward to an “Aston Martin with a flat tire” instead of being a “Mini Van with 300,000 miles that someone put a fish tank in it from Pimp my ride to distract you”.

Now that is an interesting comparison, to say the least. For starters, comparing Simmons to an Aston Martin may be generous, although the Nets forward has looked like a quality player whenever he's healthy enough to suit up. But it's also telling that Simmons' agent thinks that his client's injury is easily fixable like a flat tire.

Flat tires only need to be inflated; after all, Bernard Lee did not say that Ben Simmons had a punctured tire, which needs vulcanization, which is a more complicated process than mere inflation.

This could be an indication that Simmons could be progressing well in his injury recovery process; Lee also added that the Nets forward has been going through 2 on 2s and 3 on 3s in practices as of late, but there remains no timetable for his official return to the NBA hardwood.

Simmons has only played in six games for the Nets this season. In those six games, he averaged 6.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per contest, averaging 31.8 minutes during that span.