The Brooklyn Nets have won three of their last four games as they are starting to play better under the leadership of interim head coach Kevin Ollie. As Brooklyn moves forward with trying to win enough games to get back into the Eastern Conference play-in tournament picture, they will most likely not have the services of their highest-paid player.
Late on Monday morning, prior to facing the Memphis Grizzlies later that night, the Nets announced that guard Ben Simmons was ruled out for the contest due to a left lower back nerve impingement. While Simmons has missed the last three games for Brooklyn due to a combination of not yet playing in back-to-backs and left leg soreness, his latest injury designation is what makes this situation interesting.
Prior to Monday’s game against the Grizzlies, Simmons has played in just 15 of the 60 games that the Nets have played this season, including missing 38 straight games earlier this season due to a left lower back nerve impingement. When Simmons was recently listed as out due to left leg soreness, various media members said that the soreness was probably a result of the impingement that he’s listed with now.
Simmons has been one of the most polarizing players in the NBA in recent memory because of how much he has fallen, in terms of public perception, from a perennial All-Star to a player who may never get close to that form again. With the recurring injuries, especially to his back, it’s fair to wonder how much more Simmons can give at this point of his career.
Nets say that Ben Simmons (left lower back nerve impingement) is OUT for tonight’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
— Sharif Phillips-Keaton (@SharifKeaton) March 4, 2024
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