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Following his healthiest start to a season in years, Ben Simmons' injuries are piling up. After missing the Brooklyn Nets' previous three games due to an illness, the team announced he was available for Saturday's Miami Heat matchup. However, they ruled him out minutes before tipoff due to lower back soreness.
“I was told before the game that he had some lower back soreness, and he was out,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said after a 106-97 loss. “Like I've always said with Ben and everybody else, we'll prioritize their bodies and their health, and that was the right thing to do. He was not good to go.”
The loss marked Simmons' eighth absence in the Nets' last 13 games.
Ben Simmons' injury struggles continue as Nets losses pile up
Brooklyn has plummeted to the bottom of the NBA standings amid injuries to Simmons and several other key players. The Nets have lost 11 of their last 12 games. They rank dead last in offense during that span, averaging 98.7 points and 16.4 turnovers on 41.0 percent shooting from the field and 31.7 percent from three.
Simmons had been effective during a recent stretch after taking over for Dennis Schroder as Brooklyn's starting point guard. Over his last 11 appearances, he's averaged 8.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 8.2 assists in 28.5 minutes per game, the third-most on the team. However, the Nets have taken a cautious approach with injuries of late as they aim to boost their draft lottery odds.
Following Saturday's loss, Brooklyn is two games back of third place in the lottery standings.
While Simmons recently said his body has felt rejuvenated following a second back surgery, his on-court production and overall availability remain subpar. The three-time All-Star has appeared in 30 of 46 games this season, averaging 6.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists. He's attempted 7.3 field goals and 1.1 free throws per 36 minutes, both career lows.
Simmons' NBA future remains uncertain ahead of his unrestricted free agency this summer.
