After having been ruled out for the play-in tournament earlier this week, time is running out for Ben Simmons to return to action for the Nets, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Sports+ link).
Simmons is suffering from a herniated L-4 disc in his lower spine and received an epidural last month to treat the injury. He’s starting to feel better, and there’s hope he’ll avoid surgery, but it appears increasing unlikely he’ll be able to return for the playoffs.
“It looks like he’s doing a little bit better,” a league source told Lewis. “You know, it’s just a timing thing. The problem is the season is running out. But he’s doing [more]. He’s starting to do a little bit more movement, AlterG (an anti-gravity treadmill), stuff like that. So … we’ve got to be patient with it. I don’t think he’ll need a procedure, though. But you’ve just got to be patient with it.”
Lewis reports that this is the fourth back flare-up Simmons has dealt with over the past few seasons, including earlier this season with Philadelphia. Nets star Kevin Durant said the team isn’t going to pressure Simmons to return if he isn’t healthy.
“He’s doing good,” Durant said. “He looks good as far as just walking around and being around the team. Haven’t seen him do anything on the basketball court as much, but a couple walk-through things.
“But I think his spirits are in the right place and he’s excited to be a part of the group and [we’re] looking forward to having him out on the floor. I definitely don’t want him to rush back for us and his back is not right, so take all the time he needs to get his body right. And once he’s out there, we’re ready to rock and roll.”
Simmons has missed the entire season after his prolonged stalemate with the Sixers finally led to a trade to Brooklyn at the February deadline. The three-time All-Star has played in 275 career games, holding averages of 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.7 steals in 33.9 minutes per contest.
As Petter Botte of The New York Post relays, the Nets moved into seventh place after Friday’s 118-107 victory over Cleveland, led by 36 points from Durant. The Nets control their own fate for their final seeding in the play-in tournament — if they beat Indiana at home on Sunday, Brooklyn will finish as the No. 7 seed and get home-court advantage in the tournament.
Just focus on your health. Don’t rush a return
get a new bed bro
This forum needs a tie breaker article.
Boston has already lock up 3rd seed?
No.
No Boston has not wrapped up the 3.
If sixers beat Pacers today and Pistons tomorrow combined with a grizzlies victory over the Celtics tomorrow would give the sixers the 3 and Boston the 4.
Dude is WASHED.
I think this is at least somewhat psychological
I don’t think his agent, Rich Paul, made matters worse for Simmons.
Meant to say Rich Paul made matter worse from a psychological perspective…
I’m pretty sure Rich Paul’s affect on Simmons psyche is the least of his concerns. Simmons problem is Simmons problem and not being caused by some guy in LA trying to work deals.
if a lack of desire to play the game counts, then yes, it is.
The only psychological part is that he seems to have lied about his conditioning. Around a week or two before the trade, Ramona Shelburne had a story that if you read clearly was a piece fed to her by Klutch Sports. In it, she talked about how hard he was working to stay in shape to play after a trade. This included driving all over the Philly area looking for gyms. If you want to hear an in depth discussion look at Ramona’s appearance on the Woj Pod at that time.
Once the trade happens we find out weeks later that he hurt his back again and it was keeping him out. There has been speculation that he hurt his back way early and possibly right before or after training camp. Others suggest he hurt it ramping up too fast.
So either he was too hurt to work out this whole season and lied about keeping up conditioning, or he lied about all the conditioning he said he did before the trade and ended up injured by ramping up too quickly. If he just worked out with the Sixers from the start the injury likely doesn’t happen, or their medical staff can plan out the rehab.
Kd is not getting younger
Dont play this year… you’ll maybe not get more of a chance then this year
Guy’s having a hell of an NBA career so far. We’ll see what he does next season to prove he deserves the guaranteed money he’s making. Throw in a back injury on top of the “mental issues” and it looks more like he may not live up to potential.
Ben Simmons may not play. In related news, fire is hot.
And water is wet…
What?!? Since when?
More of a character issue.
This guy gets paid more for not working than I have made working in my entire life.
NBA should make an example of him for faking a mental illness. Tyreke Evan and OJ Mayo him. Good luck in China.
This is “Fake it till you Make it” at its finest. Can’t win that grievance case unless you go full Simple Jack.
we are flying dragon. simmons is with us now.
As someone who deals with a herniated L-4 disc, I can tell you that it sucks and can pop up at any time. When it does, it’s debilitating.
It will nag him for the rest of his career.
This is another reason why the Nets shouldn’t have traded for Simmons.
As someone who had 3 herniated discs in my back. They are fully healed and do not have any more issues and my flexibility through my back is better than before the issues. You just need to know the proper way to rehab and take it slow.
And I’m sure you don’t and didn’t run up and down a hardwood basketball court guarding some of the best players in the world, either.
That’s a shame, all I got to say is windows of opportunity to become champion don’t come often
Sixers won trade
Have you watched Harden in Philly? He is not the same player. Not looking after your body catches up with anyone once past 30. Unless he changes that he won’t regain his form.
Actually, funny enough, Nets won the trade, simply by adding Seth for Harden. Losing Harden is addition by subtraction. Seth can at least still hit his 3s. Harden has been horrid in Philly.
As much as I would love to say the Sixers won, I think both teams lost. The Nets get a guy with mentality issues and now has a recurring back problem in his mid 20s. He also might be one playoff meltdown away from quitting the sport.
The Sixers get an old for his age 32 year old who had trouble even speeding past a center in the Raptors game and doesn’t seem like he will age gracefully or have a Chris Paul bounce back with his love for late night clubbing and partying. This is the guy who also has a history of causing problems on his team and is going to be getting a max extension.
Is this a case of the Nets medical team failing to stamp FAIL on his physical or the front office ignoring yet another issue with Simmons (besides his preexisting psychological stuff)?
Harden wanted to go to Philly, he was the best they were going to get back injury and mentally illness didn’t really matter.
Simmons wanted to be traded to a team in Cali. Who wants to bet he gets his wish this off-season and is healed from all that woes him – mental, physical and all astro planes.
*astral
Astral planes are for divining signs…
Astro planes are for stealing them
You’re kidding!
How does he get a herniated disc doing nothing? What was he doing? People talking about herniated discs on here; did they get it being a 25 year old professional, millionaire, perennial all-star athlete who was off work doing nothing? In all the years I’ve never heard of this in the NBA. Dude doesn’t play and comes back broken. Was he not working with any trainers? I was expecting a comeback by a hungry competitor with something to prove. I wish him a good recovery, but I can’t help but be disappointed.
I think when people don’t work, the immediate thought is that they do nothing. Do you do yardwork, lift anything, weights, driving, or just sitting. How can it be unbelievable to think things cannot aggravate the spine?
Things can be genetic also.
I would like a world where no one knows pain or knows anyone with back problems…. Maybe its an age thing to learn, or having it yourself. Kinda like when people aren’t listening until it happens to them. They haven’t paid attention to dodge chargers on the road. Until they have a dodge charger.
Jeez ice cold crowd in here, now seems to be a player’s fault getting injured, make no mistake no player wants to be injured, so why the blame?
If a guy gets injured look to the HC or GM or Dr for blame, never the player!
Nets should of known about this. Sixers should too and probably did know. If Ben knew long ago he wasn’t playing in Philly. He should of been making sure he was healthy and ready to play when traded. I’ve been a Ben supporter. But this is unacceptable.
If he’s had it his for yrs now. Why wouldn’t he be upfront about it. And never let it get to this point.
This would’ve been a great opportunity for him and Nets. To really change the East power standings. And get to the Finals this yr. Another version of stars running the NBA. Or more like Ruining the NBA.