The Nets announced Wednesday that Simmons (back) has begun light individual work and will be re-evaluated in 7-10 days, Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com reports.
Simmons has missed Brooklyn's last six games while dealing with a left lower back nerve impingement but is continuing to improve with treatment. Day'Ron Sharpe should continue to receive extended minutes in Simmons' absence. Simmons' timetable will likely have him targeting a return in early December.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Dealing with nerve irritation
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Simmons' agent, Bernie Lee, said Tuesday that his client underwent an MRI recently that revealed nerve irritation on the lower left side of his body, Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports. Simmons didn't travel with the Nets to Atlanta for Wednesday's game against the Hawks and remains out indefinitely.
Simmons last played Nov. 6 before being shut down with what the Nets first classified as left hip soreness before labeling his injury as a left hip contusion. The 27-year-old had previously required surgery to address multiple herniated discs on the right side of his back and then suffered a nerve impingement, but the Nets don't believe the injury to the left side of his lower back/hip is nearly as significant. Even so, coach Jacque Vaughn told Brian Lewis of the New York Post on Tuesday that Simmons isn't yet able to practice or take part in on-court activity, though Simmons is reportedly continuing to work out off the court. Though Simmons' timeline remains up in the air, his lack of involvement in practice since suffering the injury suggests that his absence will more than likely stretch into December.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Won't travel to Atlanta
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Simmons (hip/back) won't travel with the team to Atlanta and has been ruled out for Wednesday's matchup against the Hawks, Laura Albanese of Newsday reports.
Simmons will miss a seventh straight matchup due to ongoing hip and back injuries, and it's unclear when he'll return to game action, as Albanese relays that Simmons hasn't shown much progress over the last few days. Dennis Smith (back) and Cam Thomas (ankle) also remain out, so Lonnie Walker is primed for extended minutes versus the Hawks.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Dealing with nerve irritation
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Simmons (hip) is set to miss additional time while he battles nerve irritation in his hip and lower left side, Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports.
Simmons' ongoing hip and nerve issues aren't directly related to previous injuries. Over the past 18 months, Simmons has dealt with nerve impingements and needed surgery on multiple herniated disks on the right side of his back, but Tuesday's diagnosis is regarded as being far less serious. He was already ruled out for Tuesday's game against Orlando, but his absence will likely extend beyond Thursday's game against Miami.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Will remain out Tuesday
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Simmons (hip) has been ruled out for Tuesday's game against the Magic, Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com reports.
Simmons will miss a fourth straight game due to a hip contusion. Coach Jacque Vaughn said prior to Sunday's win over the Wizards that Simmons is considered day-to-day, though he'll presumably have to practice before he's cleared for game action. Simmons' next chance to suit up will come Thursday in Miami.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Day-to-day with hip contusion
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Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said prior to Sunday's 102-94 win over the Wizards that Simmons is day-to-day with a left hip contusion, Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Simmons' injury had previously been described as left hip soreness, but Vaughn didn't suggest that the change in how the Nets labeled the injury was indicative of the issue being more severe than initially reported. He'll continue to get regular treatment of the injury and could have a shot at playing Tuesday against the Magic, though a return to action may be contingent on Simmons practicing Monday without issue. Before missing the past three games with the hip issue, Simmons averaged 6.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 0.8 blocks and 0.5 steals in 31.8 minutes per game in his first six appearances this season while shooting 52.8 percent from the field.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Ruled out for Sunday
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Simmons (hip) will not play Sunday against the Wizards, Evan Barnes of Newsday reports.
Simmons is dealing with a left hip contusion. He'll miss his third consecutive game Sunday, with Spencer Dinwiddie and Lonnie Walker expected to continue filling his void.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Won't play Friday
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Simmons (hip) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Celtics.
Simmons has dealt with hip and back injuries in recent days and will be unavailable for the third time in the last four games. However, the Nets will get a slight boost since Cameron Johnson (calf) is available. Dennis Smith, Lonnie Walker and Spencer Dinwiddie should see increased run Friday.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Could return Friday
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Simmons (hip) is questionable for Friday's matchup at the Celtics, Meghan Triplett of GrindCityMedia.com reports.
Hip and back issues have caused Simmons to miss two of the past three games. His presence is as crucial as ever with Cam Thomas (ankle) out for at least the next two weeks, though the Nets are at least expected to get Cameron Johnson (calf) back. Simmons is returning value for fantasy managers who selected him outside of the top 100 by averaging 6.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.3 combined steals-plus-blocks in 31.8 minutes. If he remains sidelined, look for Dennis Smith, Lonnie Walker and Spencer Dinwiddie to see elevated minutes and usage, though Dinwiddie has struggled much of this season.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Won't play Wednesday
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Simmons (hip) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Clippers.
Simmons was a late addition to Wednesday's injury report due to a sore hip, and he'll be unavailable for at least one game. Dennis Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie and Cam Thomas could see increased run against the Clippers, while Simmons' next chance to suit up will be Friday against Boston.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Deemed questionable Wednesday
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Simmons is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Clippers due to left hip soreness, Meghan Triplett of GrindCityMedia.com reports.
Simmons wasn't on the Nets' initial injury report, but his availability is now in question due to a hip injury that appeared to bother him in the second half of Monday's loss to the Bucks. If he's unable to suit up, Dennis Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie and Cam Thomas could see increased roles.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Hauls in 15 rebounds
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Simmons logged two points (1-3 FG), 15 rebounds and four assists in 33 minutes during Monday's 129-125 loss to the Bucks.
This was Simmons' 10th career game with at least 15 rebounds. He was coming off a missed game Saturday due to a back issue, which was the second leg of a back-to-back set, but he seemed to be moving well Monday evening. While his scoring output hasn't been great with Cam Thomas and Mikal Bridges doing most of the damage, Simmons is averaging 10.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists to appease fantasy managers.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Good to go Monday
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Simmons (back) isn't listed on the injury report for Monday's game against the Bucks.
The 27-year-old missed the second half of a back-to-back set Saturday for back injury maintenance, but he'll return to the court for Monday's contest. Through five games this season, Simmons is averaging 7.4 points. 10.0 rebounds and 7.2 assists in 31.4 minutes.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Won't play Saturday
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Simmons is out for Saturday's game versus the Celtics due to back injury maintenance, Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com reports.
Simmons will miss his first game of the season Saturday after dealing with back injuries over the last couple of seasons. However, it appears that the Nets are just playing it cautiously, and the 27-year-old forward should be able to play in Monday's matchup with the Bucks. Dennis Smith, Cam Thomas and Lonnie Walker are candidates to receive extended minutes in Simmons' absence.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Near triple-double again
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Simmons produced 11 points (5-6 FG, 1-2 FT), 10 rebounds, eight assists and one block in 35 minutes during Monday's 133-121 victory over the Hornets.
Simmons put forth a modest but well-rounded game. His playmaking responsibility increased when Spencer Dinwiddie (ankle) was unable to play in the second half after suffering an ankle sprain. Monday's production is emblematic of a realistic nightly expectation for Simmons, and his trajectory is pointing firmly upward.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Plays center, sniffs triple-double
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Simmons closed Friday's 125-120 loss to the Mavericks with 10 points (5-8 FG), 10 rebounds, eight assists, two blocks and two steals in 32 minutes.
Simmons played at center with Nic Claxton (ankle) ruled out, and he delivered a solid output despite being undersized at the position. Simmons ended just two assists from a triple-double, and while his scoring woes hurt his fantasy upside, his ability to play any position means he should be a stat-filling machine regardless of where he plays.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Near double-double to open season
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Simmons amassed four points (2-6 FG), 10 rebounds, nine assists and one block over 23 minutes during Wednesday's 114-113 loss to the Cavaliers.
While his lack of offensive contributions hurt in a narrow loss, Simmons at least showed that he was healthy and can deliver his usual strong numbers in other categories. It's not clear if the 27-year-old will ever return to being the secondary scoring asset he was with the Sixers -- he averaged between 14.3 and 16.9 points per game over his first four NBA campaigns -- but he'll need to offer defenses some kind of threat to avoid making life more difficult for Mikal Bridges and the Nets' other top options.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Misses all four shots Wednesday
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Simmons delivered two points (0-4 FG, 2-2 FT), eight rebounds and seven assists across 23 minutes in Wednesday's 107-104 preseason win over the Heat.
Simmons looked excellent on the glass and as a distributor, but he barely attacked the basket and still looks like a player with no confidence in his jump shot, something that will ultimately hinder his value. Simmons can get the job done as someone who can fill the stat sheet on a regular basis, but that won't happen if he doesn't trust his shot often, and fantasy managers can get easily frustrated if he delivers these numbers once the regular season starts.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Eight turnovers in preseason loss
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Simmons finished Monday's preseason loss to the Sixers with eight points (4-8 FG, 0-1 FT), nine assists, six rebounds, three steals, a block and eight turnovers in 29 minutes.
For the most part, it's been an encouraging preseason for Simmons, who's looked notably more aggressive in seeking out his own shot, as well as driving and distributing to teammates. The renewed focus is encouraging, though Simmons did get a bit reckless Monday, accounting for nearly a third of the Nets' 27 turnovers as a team. Most fantasy managers will approach Simmons with caution this season, but if he remains healthy and engaged he could return to being a well-rounded producer of counting stats. A year ago, Simmons made 42 appearances and posted 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Balanced showing in preseason win
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Simmons posted six points (3-5 FG), nine assists, six rebounds and one steal over 22 minutes during Thursday's 135-103 preseason win over Ra'anana.
Simmons led all players in assists in Thursday's preseason game while finishing one dime short of the double-digit mark in a victory over Ra'anana. Simmons has tallied 8.0 points, 6.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds over 18 minutes over two preseason games for Brooklyn.
