The Brooklyn Nets did a pretty good job maximizing their return ahead of the NBA trade deadline when they parted ways with James Harden. Seth Curry and Andre Drummond filled holes on the roster and two first-round picks are always nice to have. But, the centerpiece of that deal was Ben Simmons.
While nowhere near the offensive maestro that Harden is, Simmons brings some youth and versatility to a roster that was lacking both. Where he was going to help the Nets the most was on the defensive end of the ball.
Simmons is arguably the most versatile defender in the NBA. He can defend point guards as easily as he can defend wings and big men, standing 6’10” with a 7-foot wingspan. A whole new world of possibilities was opened up for head coach Steve Nash, who could make some intriguing lineup combinations knowing Simmons can fill numerous roles.
Unfortunately for the Brooklyn Nets, it is sounding less and less likely that we will see Ben Simmons on the court this season for them. A recent update from Alex Schiffer on Twitter didn’t offer many positives.
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While Simmons was able to do more at practice, he is still far away from competing in games because of his ailing back. Nash has ruled him out for the remainder of the regular season and through the NBA Play-In Tournament as well.
Based on that timeline, the earliest we would see Simmons on the court would be Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs, should the Nets advance that far. The first round will begin on April 16th or 17th, depending on the Play-In Tournament schedule.
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It is hard to imagine Ben Simmons being cleared and ready to play in that game. The most likely scenario is that Simmons misses the entirety of the 2021-22 season, postseason included.
At this point, it sounds as if Nash and the Brooklyn Nets aren’t going to be relying on Simmons for anything this season. It would be a detriment to him putting him on the court without any game action this season under the bright lights of the postseason, given everything he has gone through with his mental health.
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Giving him the entire offseason to get his back right and come back 100 percent healthy and ready to play to begin the 2022-23 season should be the goal for Ben Simmons right now.
