Brooklyn Nets star Ben Simmons has yet to appear in a game with his new team since being moved ahead of the NBA trade deadline. He’s still working toward appearing before the team plays all of their remaining 12 regular season games, but time is running out to do so.
Per ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski, there is “hope” Simmons can return to play a “couple” of games prior to the end of the Nets’ regular season schedule, and ahead of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Brooklyn Nets star Ben Simmons has remained sidelined with an irritation of the L-4 disc of the lower spine, but there’s hope he can return for a “couple” of regular-season games prior to the Eastern Conference playoffs, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.
There was an original target date planned for Friday when the Nets take on the Portland Trail Blazers, but meeting that timeline “became impossible” over the last few weeks due to “pain flaring up in the lower back.”
There had been an original target for a return Friday vs. the Portland Trail Blazers, sources said, but that became impossible in recent weeks based on Simmons’ inability to go more than a day or two in rehabilitation without pain flaring up in the lower back and resetting his timeline, sources said.
With Kyrie Irving currently ineligible to play in home games for the Nets, getting Simmons back in the lineup be critical to alleviate pressure from Durant. The Dallas Mavericks frequently sent early double-teams at Durant to get the ball out of his hands in Wednesday’s loss, which proved to be quite effective in slowing the half-court offense down.
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With Simmons on the floor, the Nets would have the option of deploying a small ball lineup where he plays the center position and is the defender often making the switch when defending screens. Instead of Andre Drummond or Nic Claxton guarding Luka Doncic on an isolation, it would be Simmons.
This post originally appeared on Nets Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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