In nearly two full seasons, Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash has rarely had a fully healthy team. The Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving-James Harden trio barely took the floor at the same time, resulting in massive disappointment.

Swap in Ben Simmons for Harden and things haven't improved at all yet.

The latest timetable for Simmons' possible return from a back flare-up is murky. The LSU product reportedly suffered some tightness in his back while trying to increase stamina for an eventual return to the floor. He hasn't played since the playoffs last June.

Recently at a shootaround, Nets GM Sean Marks provided an update.

“Hopefully by the end of next week he’s getting more into the team environment and then we can really ramp up and start him getting into game shape,” Marks said Thursday of last week, via YES Network.

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If Simmons can't practice until the end of this upcoming week, and then it takes him about a week to progress through the Nets' conservative return-to-play process (where players must progress through three high-intensity workouts without setback, which Durant accomplished in about seven days), that would only leave a few games at most where he could see the floor with both Durant and Irving.

So, how will the Nets incorporate such a unique player like Simmons into the fold with precious little time and try to make a run at a title? Just prior to Sunday's matinee vs. Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics, head coach Steve Nash tried to answer that very question:

“I think there's two sides to it,” Nash explained. “One, it's very tricky because [Simmons] hasn't played with our guys, and like you said he is unique. On the other hand, I think he's a great fit for our group. So I don't think we over think it, I think we allow him to be himself and clearly we will think it and try to put him in a possession to succeed,” Nash said.

If Simmons could return by late March, there are road games on the schedule in Memphis, Miami, and Atlanta. The Nets could finally get a look at their new Big 3 then in an optimistic scenario. Irving wouldn't be eligible (as of today) for the final game of the regular season vs. the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, where the same vaccine rules apply in Manhattan as they do in Brooklyn.

There isn't much time, but Nash believes Simmons really does fit:

“I think the way we play,” Nash continued, “the way we want to play, the vision for this group and the way [Simmons] complements the rest of the group, I don't think it's gonna be overly mechanical a process where you're constantly trying to put square pegs in round holes. I think this suits us, this fits us well, and Ben's special because of all the things that he does well. Not one thing, many, many things he does well on the basketball court,” Nash said.

Unfortunately for the Nets, if we ever get to see if he's right, it will just about be time for the play-in tournament. Then there isn't much room for error, and Irving may not be in the fold there either.

Still, there is a vision in place. Fans just have to continue to hope it comes to fruition before time runs out on Durant and co.