All-star guard Ben Simmons has been dealing with back stiffness and is yet to make his debut for the Brooklyn Nets.
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As a result of his holdout in Philadelphia, Simmons last appeared in an NBA game on June 20 in Game 7 of the Sixers’ second-round series against the Atlanta Hawks.
After Kevin Durant returned to the Brooklyn Nets lineup after missing time due to a MCL sprain, now all the attention has shifted to the much-awaited debut of Ben Simmons. The former Philadelphia 76ers guard was acquired by the Nets at the Feb. 10 trade deadline.
Simmons was traded to the Brooklyn Nets for James Harden and Paul Millsap, along with Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two future first-round picks.
The Brooklyn Nets have struggled recently with injuries and the league’s health and safety protocols and have fallen to 9th place in the Eastern Conference. The Nets are 3-7 in their last 10 games as they take on the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night.
Will Ben Simmons play tonight vs the Charlotte Hornets?
Ben Simmons has been ruled out for the Brooklyn Net’s fixture against the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, there is still no definitive timeline, and Simmons will not play in the Nets’ upcoming game against his former team in Philadelphia on Thursday either. Simmons, on the other hand, is expected to be present and will sit on the team’s bench.
Ben Simmons will not play in Thursday’s Nets-76ers – but is expected to make the return trip to Philadelphia and join team on bench inside Wells Fargo Center, sources say. More: pic.twitter.com/3orGREnaX8
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 7, 2022
“Unfortunately, his back stiffness has prevented him from joining his teammates on the court.” “So he’s been rehabbing for the last week to ten days,” Nets general manager Sean Marks explained. “And now he’ll work on some individual [work] for the rest of the week.”
“Although there is no set timeline, we must take things day by day and see how he reacts. And the sooner the better. We need to get this group together and spend some time on the court together.”
When Simmons was introduced as a Nets player after the trade deadline, he expressed a desire to play against the Sixers, and everyone will be eager to see these two teams square off.
However, based on Marks’ comments, Simmons could return as early as next Sunday (March 13 against the New York Knicks), but even that is probably optimistic.