Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons spoke to the media following Wednesday's practice in Paris for the first time in two weeks. Simmons has been sidelined for over two months due to a nerve impingement in his back.

“It’s good. I’m getting there,” he said of the injury. “Just progressing every day, so I’ll be back soon.”

Despite this, he remained non-committal on a timetable for his return.

“I ain't got no timetable,” he said.

Head coach Jacque Vaughn said Friday that Simmons has progressed to on-court workouts with “multiple bodies around him.” The three-time All-Star participated in portions of practice Wednesday.

Ben Simmons' injury woes

Ben Simmons with question marks and red medical symbol around him

After sitting out the entire 2021-22 season due to a back injury and mental health issues, Ben Simmons underwent surgery on his L-4 and L-5 discs during the 2022 offseason. He played 42 games last season while battling knee, calf and back ailments, eventually being forced out at the All-Star break due to a nerve impingement in the right side of his back.

The 27-year-old played in six games this season before being forced out by an impingement in the lower left side of his back. He averaged 6.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists during that span.

Simmons' transition ball handling and facilitation were at the center of a Nets offense that had scored the NBA's second-most fast-break points at the time of his injury. The Aussie added 3.6 points per 100 possessions in transition, ranking in the 97th percentile among NBA players, per Cleaning the Glass.

However, his half-court passivity carried over from last season. He attempted 6.8 shots per 36 minutes, one fewer than 2022-23, and went to the free-throw line twice in six games. Simmons attempted 12.0 shots per 36 minutes and 5.2 free throws per game over his three All-Star seasons from 2018 to 2021.

His usage rate this season before the injury was a career-low 15.6 percent, ranking in the eighth percentile among NBA point guards. He posted a 25.9 percent usage rate during his rookie season in 2017-18, placing him in the 66th percentile among point guards. That number has since declined every season of his NBA career.

The Nets are 13-17 since Ben Simmons went down. They rank 18th in offensive rating and 21st in defensive rating during that span. The team has lost 12 of its last 16 games while struggling to find consistent production on either end.