Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons is expected to return Monday versus the Utah Jazz after a three-month absence due to a back injury. Simmons will rejoin an ailing Nets team that has plummeted to 11th in the Eastern Conference amid a 4-17 stretch over their last 21 games.

Despite the lengthy absence, the three-time All-Star has no reservations about his ability to help the team turn things around.

“Everywhere,” Simmons replied when asked what areas he could help. “I just want to have an impact. I want to come in and win games. We haven't been winning lately. So it's one of those things where we have to get back on track. I'm looking forward to just playing my role and helping his team win.”

While Simmons' return could offer Brooklyn a boost in terms of ball-handling and point-of-attack defense, two glaring weaknesses during their recent cold stretch, he has been unable to stay on the floor for an extended period over his last three seasons.

After sitting out the entire 2021-22 season due to a back injury and mental health issues, Simmons had surgery on his L-4 and L-5 discs during the 2022 offseason. He played 42 games in 2022-23 before being shut down due to a nerve impingement in the right side of his back. The Aussie appeared in six games this season, averaging 6.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists, before suffering an impingement in the lower left side of his back.

After being sidelined at last year's All-Star break, Simmons worked through a seven-month rehab process leading up to this season. The 27-year-old said over the summer that his body was “the strongest it had been” since he joined Brooklyn. While he suffered another impingement just two weeks into 2023-24, Simmons said the work he put in after his last back injury made the rehab process easier this time around.

“Definitely [was different] because I felt I was starting from zero [last time]. With this one, I at least had a lot of work I had put in prior,” he said. “So I wasn’t at zero, I felt like I was just dealing with that injury in that area. So I was able to keep that strength in other areas and just work on what I needed to work on in terms of the rehab.”

Ben Simmons' Nets impact

Ben Simmons impacted several areas for the Nets during his six-game stint early this season. His transition ball-handling and facilitation were at the center of an offense that had scored the NBA's second-most fastbreak points at the time of his injury. The 27-year-old was adding 3.6 points per 100 possessions in transition, ranking in the 97th percentile among NBA players, per Cleaning the Glass.

However, his halfcourt offensive limitations continued to be glaring. He attempted 6.8 shots per 36 minutes, one less than 2022-23, and went to the free-throw line twice in six games. Simmons attempted 11.3 shots per game and 5.2 free throws per game over his three All-Star seasons from 2018 to 2021.

The massive drop-off in attempts follows a concerning trend of halfcourt passivity. The Aussie's field goal attempts per-36 minutes have declined every season of his NBA career.

His usage rate before the injury was a career-low 15.6 percent, placing him in the eighth percentile among NBA point guards.

Regardless of Ben Simmons' limitations, the Nets desperately need an influx of versatility on both ends of the floor amid their recent struggles. Brooklyn ranks 25th in offense and 19th in defense while posting the NBA's third-worst effective field goal percentage during its 4-17 stretch.

Monday's return will mark another attempt by Simmons to re-acclimate to the speed and physicality of the NBA after an extended absence. Despite his uninspiring injury history, the third-year Net said he will take the floor with complete confidence in his body.

“Just having that confidence in playing, getting hit and going up and down and having different bodies around and being in different situations on the floor for myself and then feeling good the next day,” Ben Simmons said of his physical improvement of late. “The next day is a big sign of that. So looking forward to waking up and ready to go tomorrow.”