Nets big man Ben Simmons has yet to play post-All-Star break and it remains unclear when he will be back. Brooklyn head coach Jacque Vaughn said Friday that Simmons is experiencing back soreness on top of a nagging knee issue that initially led to the extended absence. The coach said Sunday that the 26-year-old recently received an MRI on his back:
“He ended up having an MRI and it did show some inflammation, so that's what we're trying to manage right now,” Vaughn said. “We'll see what that looks like kinda day by day, but that's what we're managing along with trying to strengthen that knee.”
Simmons underwent a microdiscectomy on a herniated disk in his lower back during the offseason. Per the Hospital for Special Surgery, the procedure is meant to reduce pain that occurs when a herniated disc presses on an adjacent nerve root. During the operation, the surgeon frees the nerve by removing small fragments of disc, bone and ligament.
Sunday's absence vs. Charlotte marks Simmons’ 21st of the season. The three-time All-Star experienced soreness in his left knee after a pair of practices at the end of the All-Star break, marking the third time this season he's missed time with the injury. Simmons said he had the knee drained and received a PRP injection, a process he also underwent in early November.
The mounting injury struggles have led to speculation that the Nets could choose to shut Simmons down with just 19 games remaining in the regular season. However, Vaughn again poured cold water on that idea pregame Sunday:
“When the back gets better and when the knee gets better then he’ll be with us,” the coach said. “We want that to happen as soon as possible, but we also want to take care of him and make sure that those two things are good. So if you want to say day by day, we can agree to day by day, but we’re going to take care of him and try to get him healthy. We want him back as soon as possible.”
Jacque Vaughn again poured cold water on the idea of shutting down Ben Simmons:
“When the back gets better and when the knee gets better then he’ll be with us. So we want that to happen as soon as possible, but we also want to take care of him and make sure that those two things… pic.twitter.com/QmrqruuE5j
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) March 5, 2023
It's difficult to imagine a more disappointing 2022-23 campaign for Simmons after he sat out all of last season. The first-year Net is averaging just 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists while struggling to carve out a consistent role. That lack of production pushed him out of the starting five prior to the All-Star break. Following the move to the bench, Simmons said he had “no idea” what his role would be moving forward while Vaughn said “challenges are ahead” when asked about the team's plan to utilize the former number one pick.
With Simmons sidelined, Brooklyn has been left with a glaring hole at backup center behind Nic Claxton. Second-year big man Day’Ron Sharpe has struggled to fill the role, forcing the team to lean into small-ball lineups with Dorian Finney-Smith at the five. However, the Nets have reinforcements on the way after they reportedly agreed to terms with Nerlens Noel after the center agreed to a buyout with Detroit.
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