Ben Simmons probably won't return to the Brooklyn Nets court anytime this season, says Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn. Moreover, the former Philadelphia 76ers player hasn't joined his Brooklyn teammates on a court since before the All-Star Weekend break. Ahead of the team's Saturday night (March 25) game against the Miami Heat, Vaughn clarified the status of Simmons' playtime. Furthermore, he said that he continues to deal with an injury, specifically a nerve impingement in his back. While this is official reason enough, many expressed enough disappointment in his Nets performance that they think more unfortunate moves are at play.
"For me as a coach, there’s some things that I can control, some things that I can’t control,” Vaughn said according to Tim Reynolds of AP. “What I can’t control is the impingement. What I can control is getting this group ready to play. And then in all honesty, the realism that he’s probably not going to join us for the rest of the year … certainty will come once he continues to be looked at by specialists."
Ben Simmons Unlikely To Return To Nets This Season
Considering those back injuries, it's unfortunate to see them contribute to what many call one of the biggest falls from grace in NBA history. Many might call that a stretch, but it shows the kind of potential that a player like the 26-year-old can demonstrate. For example, his injury issues coincided with what many interpret as a lack of confidence, lackluster performances in the league, and a lack of motivation to play basketball. Moreover, this development comes after the team announced his impingement on Friday (March 24), and after he missed all 16 games the Nets played in the second half of the year.
Even then, his stats in the games he did play didn't paint him as a valuable asset to lose. Furthermore, he averaged 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.3 steals in 26.3 minutes per game. With the season coming to a close soon, only time will tell what awaits Ben Simmons. For more on him and the latest updates from the NBA world, come back to HNHH.