You're never going to believe this, but there's some bad news involving a Brooklyn Nets star not being available to play as soon as we all hoped.
The Nets struck a monster trade bringing in Ben Simmons from Philadelphia. Simmons hasn't played since the fateful June 21 home loss to the Atlanta Hawks, when he was still with his last team, the Philadelphia 76ers. But when can Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and co. expect the newest Australian star to suit up? That has been a bit of a mystery since he was acquired a couple weeks ago.
Earlier this season, back in October, Simmons met with the Sixers and shared he has ongoing mental health struggles. Reports at the time indicated the 25-year-old player said those issues precluded him from playing for the Sixers. He reported to training camp eventually and received some treatment for back tightness from team staff around that time. He also reportedly met with an independent psychologist, separate from the Sixers.
Fast forward and Nets fans are curious why exactly he isn't playing yet and curious when he will be ready. Since he has arrived in Brooklyn, it has not sounded like mental health is an issue keeping him out of the lineup.
We did hear that conditioning was the key problem recently:
Saturday, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium provided the newest update that Simmons is dealing with back tightness:
Nets broadcaster Ian Eagle noted Simmons had some back tightness during a broadcast last week. Steve Nash spoke with reporters ahead of the showdown versus the Milwaukee Bucks.
Simmons, for what it's worth, is listed as OUT with “return to competition reconditioning” for Saturday's game.
“Yeah, I just saw the reports,” Nash said. “Same process, it's just like a little soreness in his back … it's not like an injury. It's just as he's returning to play his back's flared up a little bit. But it's not a long-term thing.”
That's a major relief. Hopefully he's ready to go by mid-March at the absolute latest. This team can use his world-class defense and basketball IQ in the worst way.
“He hasn't played a game since June,” continued Nash. “So that's just part of his process of trying to play … as you ramp up you're subject to certain things as you would be with muscle soreness or tightness, he's having a little tightness with his back.”
If Nets fans had a dollar for each time they've heard a key player needs to “ramp up” before he can play over the last 18 months, we'd all be Joe Tsai-levels of baller. This ramp-up phrase has probably been used more than “scary hours” ever was. There have been so many injuries and setbacks.
Now fans have a few choices.
Sixers fans have already concluded Simmons is fine and simply doesn't want to face a hostile Philly crowd, so he has some “back tightness,” which will magically heal by March 11:
Some are asking why would Goran Dragic, who hasn't been in game shape, be ready to play but not the much-younger Simmons?
Simmons has had back issues in the past, dating back to the All-Star break in 2020. If we take this at face value, then it makes sense a player with a history here got a minor flare-up while trying to get back into playing shape for the first time since June. It was reported he's in peak condition so far this season. But as coach Nash reminds us all the time, there's no competition for high intensity practice and real NBA games.
But the Nets are running out of breathing room here. They'll need everyone from Kevin Durant to Ben Simmons to Joe Harris to get back as soon as humanely possible if they want to make a title run. It wouldn't hurt if Irving were full-time either.
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