Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons spoke to the media Friday for the first time since being sidelined by a nerve impingement in his surgically repaired back. The three-time All-Star has missed the last six weeks due to the injury.

The Nets released a statement Wednesday saying Simmons has “displayed consistent strength improvement” and “further increased individual court work.” Despite this, the former number-one pick said he has not been given a timetable for his return.

“Honestly, I wish it was a sprained ankle. It's one of those things where you just don't know,” Simmons said. “But we've seen a lot of progress, which has been a good thing. It's very positive.”

“I just started on-court stuff. Moving around, getting some shots up. So just starting from the bottom and working my way up.”

Simmons injured himself on the following play during a November 6 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

The team initially called the injury a hip contusion before Simmons' agent, Bernie Lee, announced it was a nerve impingement. The injury is the same ailment that shut Simmons down for the second half of last season, although in a different area of his back and supposedly less severe.

“It felt a lot different in terms of pain and in terms of where it was going,” Simmons said of his current impingement compared to last season's. “You just never know. Like one day, it might be a little better than the other, it just depends on the days and how much you're pushing yourself.”

“But we've been doing a great job in terms of watching how much load I've been working on and how much we're pushing through, so it's been good,” Simmons continued. “I'm very confident, very positive.”

After undergoing surgery on his L-4 and L-5 discs during the 2022 offseason, Simmons played 42 games last season while battling knee, calf and back ailments. Before his current injury, the 27-year-old had averaged 6.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists over six appearances to start 2023-24.

Brooklyn said Wednesday that the Aussie will be re-evaluated in two weeks. However, Simmons isn't entering that meeting with expectations about his return to the court based on his previous experiences with back injuries.

“I have no expectations,” he said about his next evaluation. “I just come in here every day and work. I think that's one of the things about having injuries like this. I've known not to put too much pressure on the exact date or whatever it is. It's just continuing to get better and get to a point where you can play.”