Ben Simmons was given some devastating news on Friday. He has been diagnosed with a nerve impingement on his back and will remain sidelined for the Brooklyn Nets, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
Simmons has missed the last 15 games due to back and knee injuries, and it is unlikely he suits up again this season following this unfortunate development. These last two years have been rough, to say the least. Simmons had a messy breakup with the Philadelphia 76ers, but was a non-factor when the Nets traded James Harden for him last season. Back issues prevented him from debuting with the team and have given fans further consternation about the Simmons experiment.
When he was on the court this season, the three-time All-Star was a shell of himself offensively. In 49 games, Simmons averaged 6.9 points on 5.6 shot attempts. His assist and rebound numbers remained solid- 6.1 and 6.3, respectively-, but he was visibly passive when in possession of the ball. Shooting confidence has hung over his head throughout his whole career, but especially after passing up a lay-up in the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals versus the Atlanta Hawks.
It is unclear if the talented playmaker and defender will ever be afforded the opportunity for redemption. His health has made that impossible to answer thus far, but even when he returns there is not a clear role waiting for him on the Nets. The team added Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith right before the NBA Trade Deadline. Head coach Jacque Vaughn cannot just allocate those minutes so easily.
Ben Simmons is under contract for two more years and is due to make more than $78 million during that time. Fans can only hope he gets his back right and returns with a newfound fire as well.
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