The Brooklyn Nets might have to wait until the playoffs to see their new guard Ben Simmons in action. According to the team head coach Steve Nash, Simmons is dealing with a herniated disk in his back, and the timeline for his return remains unclear.
“He’s had this a couple years ago, so he’s had [herniated disks] throughout his career at some points,” Nash told reporters earlier this week. “And I guess there was a flare-up.”
Nash added that the franchise remains optimistic about having Simmons on the court at some point in the 2021-22 season. The 25-year-old player had an epidural injection applied to his back recently to help him deal with the pain.
Ben Simmons joined the Nets ahead of the trade deadline from the Philadelphia 76ers in a deal that saw superstar James Harden head in the opposite direction. Simmons previously asked Philly to trade him after being criticized for his performances during the 2020-21 playoffs. He is yet to play a game this season.
The Brooklyn Nets currently find themselves at No. 9 in the Eastern Conference with a 38-34 record. They will most likely have to go through the play-in tournament to get into playoffs as they are 3.0 games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers on No. 6.
