The Brooklyn Nets will be without Ben Simmons for at least their next two games, according to interim head coach Jacque Vaughn.
Vaughn said at Nets practice Thursday that Simmons will not travel with the team for matchups against the Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets this weekend as he deals with soreness and swelling in his left knee. The knee ailment forced Simmons to miss Brooklyn's last two games. Despite still recovering from offseason back surgery, the three-time All-Star had not missed a game prior to Monday.
Vaughn was non-committal on whether Simmons would travel with Brooklyn for their game against the Dallas Mavericks next Monday. The interim head coach said the 26-year-old has not been practicing.
“Ben is doing more so treatment than anything, trying to get that swelling down,” Vaughn said.
The update is cause for concern with Simmons now set to miss four straight games. To make matters worse, he was showing visible discomfort in his back when initiating contact early this season. Simmons has been noticeably hesitant offensively, averaging 6.2 points on just 5.7 shots per game.
The first-year Net missed all of last season while citing a back injury and mental health issues. Simmons underwent a microdiscectomy in May to alleviate pain in a herniated disk in his back. Through six games this season, Simmons has looked like a shell of himself physically. With knee swelling and soreness now factoring into that equation, things are trending in the wrong direction for the former No. 1 overall pick.
Vaughn also provided an update on Seth Curry, noting the guard will play in one game of Brooklyn's back-to-back this weekend.
“Seth is in a boat where he’ll play one of the two games in this back-to-back,” Vaughn said. “Still haven’t decided which one it’s gonna be. We’ll probably know that a little later on today.”
Curry is recovering from offseason ankle surgery. The 31-year-old made his season debut Saturday in a loss to the Indiana Pacers, shooting 0-of-5 from the field in 18 minutes. It appears Brooklyn will choose to play Curry on the front end of the back-to-back in Washington on Friday, with the sharpshooter currently listed as questionable.
The Nets are off to a lethargic 2-6 start amid non-stop drama surrounding Kyrie Irving and the departure of head coach Steve Nash. Brooklyn will be shorthanded again as it looks to get back on track this weekend.
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