One of the pleasant surprises for the Brooklyn Nets thus far in the 2023-24 NBA regular season has been the performance of Ben Simmons. This is the first time in years that he has been healthy and able-bodied entering a season and it has paid off.
While he still leaves something to be desired offensively, as he has scored in single-digits in four out of the six games he has played, he is doing his part to help the team. Simmons has been excellent on the boards and as a playmaker, showcasing his versatility.
He has averaged 10.8 rebounds per game, which would be a career-high and 6.7 assists. Simmons has pulled down double-digit rebounds in all but one game, helping fill the void left by the injury to center Nicolas Claxton. Claxton played in only one game this season because of an ankle injury.
NBA NEWS & STATS: Ben Simmons, Brooklyn Nets Updates
Head coach Jacque Vaughn is putting Simmons in positions to succeed, accentuating his strengths and trying to limit exposure to his weaknesses. It has helped him make an impact, but the Nets could be missing that against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.
According to Billy Reinhardt, the updated injury report for the Nets is listing Simmons as questionable with left hip soreness. Forward Cam Johnson is joining Claxton on the sidelines with a left calf strain.
Injuries have been a major issue for Simmons in years past. After missing his entire first season in the NBA, he played in 81 and 79 games in the subsequent two seasons. Since that point, he hasn’t played in more than 58 games in a single season and missed the entire 2021-22 season because of a holdout and back injury.
NBA NEWS & STATS: Ben Simmons, Brooklyn Nets Updates
Any time Simmons ends up on the injury report it is a bit concerning. He has already missed one game this season, as he sat out the Nets’ loss to the Boston Celtics on November 4th.
Without him in the lineup, Vaughn inserted veteran Royce O’Neale into the starting five in his place. Should Simmons be forced to miss Wednesday night’s game, it will likely be O’Neale stepping into the lineup once again alongside Mikal Bridges, Cam Thomas, Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie.
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