In a rather unsurprising decision, the Brooklyn Nets have officially ruled out Ben Simmons for Game 1 of their first round playoff series with the Boston Celtics.
While there were previous reports that Simmons could play for the Nets in Game 1 of their playoffs opener, recent indications suggest that the Australian playmaker is not yet in game shape after dealing with some back issues over the past couple of months. With that said, it's not surprising Brooklyn decided to sit him out for their Sunday showdown with the Celtics in Boston, per Mark Medina of NBA.com.
Brooklyn Nets officially list Ben Simmons as out for Game 1 tomorrow vs the Boston Celtics
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) April 16, 2022
As Steve Nash highlighted on Friday, Ben Simmons hasn't been able to do anything yet on practice as he tries to assess his condition. Considering that statement, it was already clear that Simmons is not ready to play–especially in the playoffs where things are more intense.
For what it's worth, Simmons was spotted dunking during Saturday's practice. While it was not a powerful one, it shows that his back is progressing well. He has also been shooting pain-free over the past week, which is why Brooklyn is ramping up his activity and has given him the greenlight to go against his teammates on the practice floor.
It remains to be seen when Simmons will be able to play for the Nets, but with the way things are trending, the wait shouldn't be too long.
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