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The Brooklyn Nets were reportedly still holding out hope that newly acquired point-forward Ben Simmons might play for them this season. The timetable for his return keep getting pushed back further and further.
By now, however, many fans have fully accepted Simmons will not suit up at all this postseason. The latest update will only add more reasons to feel that way.
Per Brian Lewis of The New York Post:
“After first holding out while with the Philadelphia 76ers, citing mental health issues, Simmons then suffered a back injury while ramping up to play in the wake of engineering a blockbuster trade to Brooklyn on Feb. 10. As a result, Simmons hasn’t played a second this season, and as he now deals with a herniated L-4 disc, a league source acknowledged it’s looking unlikely he will at this point.”
On the latest episode of the “Nothing but Nets” podcast, we talked a bit about the percentage chance Simmons might return at all this season.
The Nets should not have any expectation that Simmons will play at any point this playoffs. Even if the medical and performance training staff is optimistic that one day he might suddenly feel well enough to begin progressing through the team's rigorous return-to-play-conditioning protocol, it's safer for the coaching crew and players to operate as if they will not have the luxury of the hyper-athletic playmaker-defender.
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What a shame not having a guy who can do this:
Not many players are able to lockdown the reigning MVP like this. Stellar defense from Ben Simmons. pic.twitter.com/x8KrQTNSuF
— Harrison Grimm (@Harrison_Grimm) March 18, 2021
Ben Simmons' game is based largely on his physical advantages, and there is no doubt the Nets will benefit assuming he can get back out there and exhibit the uncommon size-speed-agility combo that has made him such a dominant perimeter stopper and transition beast after missing so much time. However, he hasn't played now since June 2021, so there is the risk of setback–which simply isn't safe.
Lewis writes that “the good news is that Simmons has seen enough improvement with his back recently to give the Nets and their sidelined All-Star hope that he can at least avoid surgery this offseason.”
At this point, the Nets playoff rotation figures to have seven players set in stone: Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Bruce Brown, Andre Drummond, Seth Curry, Patty Mills and Nic Claxton. And then there is Goran Dragic, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kessler Edwards, and to a lesser extent, perhaps Cam Thomas and Blake Griffin who could all vie for the final two or three rotation spots.
The Nets are 43-38, now in the driver's seat to win one more game and host the Play-In. If they somehow won their next two games in a row, they'd be in the playoffs as the seventh seed. Currently, the Milwaukee Bucks are the second seed and would host Durant and co. These scenarios are simply in pencil for now. But the road ahead is treacherous.
It's not much of a reward for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. You win 50-plus games but then you look at your first round opponent and see KD and Kyrie coming to town. Yeesh. Coach Mike Budenholzer wouldn't get much sleep the night before Game 1, even without Ben Simmons to scheme for. But first, Brooklyn needs to beat the Pacers at home on Sunday before we can start thinking about this stuff. Next up, operation slow down Tyrese Halliburton and be careful of T.J. McConnell stealing inbounds passes.
