The end of the 2021-22 NBA regular season is just over a week away, and Ben Simmons has still not yet made his debut with the Brooklyn Nets. Simmons is recovering from a nagging back injury that has delayed his debut with his new team after his trade from the Philadelphia 76ers.

However, while it seems like this season will be a wash for Simmons, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium is offering up a glimmer of hope. The Nets star has reportedly “resumed light on-court workouts,” and there's still a possibility that he's able to ramp up for a playoff return.

Here's the full report:

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The Nets have just five games remaining in their regular season, so there's almost no chance Simmons is ready before the postseason. Could he be back in time for the play-in tournament? That starts just a few days after the regular season ends, which would seemingly make that a long shot as well.

But if Brooklyn makes it through the play-in as expected, there appears to be a chance Simmons actually does play in the playoffs. It would be asking a lot of him to go out there and play at his peak level after missing the entire season, but Simmons' mere presence could be a boost for the Nets, especially on the defensive end of the court.

For now, though, Brooklyn continues to play wait and see and should operate is if Simmons won't be back. If he does come back in the playoffs, that's just gravy.