Nets rumors: Ben Simmons encounter during team photoshoot is bad news for his injury

While James Harden has sizzled in his Sixers start, Brooklyn Nets addition Ben Simmons has been bogged down by a bad back.

While James Harden has sizzled in his start with the Philadelphia 76ers, Ben Simmons has been bogged down by a bad back which has prevented him from even making his Brooklyn Nets debut.

All eyes are on the Nets' schedule with a March 10 trip to Philadelphia. That Ben Simmons homecoming that may not be too warm for the 6'10 point forward should he suit up for that contest. However, NBA insider Shams Charania dropped the news that the Nets are just hoping he makes it back for the playoffs.

“He’s dealing with a flare-up in his back. The Nets are saying that it’s something to be expected and something that we’re just gonna treat day-to-day … but there was an expectation that by now he was gonna be really on the cusp of his comeback and that’s probably not gonna be the case because he had a flare-up with his back, I’m told, during his ramp-up process… He is gonna have to rehab that back but there is hope & optimism that he'll be back on the floor before the playoffs.”

What's goin on with Ben Simmons??

"He is gonna have to rehab that back but there is hope & optimism that he'll be back on the floor before the playoffs" ~@ShamsCharania #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/mOhlBaiI7m

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 28, 2022

More than a handful of observers have made the logical assumption that the back injury rumors may just be a front for trying to keep Ben Simmons on the shelf past that date.

However, one rumored encounter during the Nets' team photoshoot suggests his injury may be legitimate. According to a source from ESPN Philadelphia affiliate radio host Mike Missanelli, Simmons begged off from requests due to his bad back.

Via The Mike Missanelli Show h/t NBA Reddit:

During the Nets photo shoot this afternoon, team photographers asked Ben Simmons to perform a dunk and he pointed to his back and said he was unable to.

Either Ben Simmons is really committing to the bit or this is a sign that his back is really bothering him. Perhaps he just didn't want to risk it or maybe photos or video of him dunking would ignite some unwanted speculation.

Whichever way you swing it, the rumored interaction remains bad news for Nets fans.