Ben Simmons has yet to play in a game for the Nets.
Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons will be out of the lineup for the rest of the regular season and Play-In Tournament, coach Steve Nash announced Monday. Simmons has been recovering from back pain that has been bothering him since joining the team in February.
Ben Simmons has been ruled out for the rest of regular season and the play-in tournament, Nets coach Steve Nash announced. pic.twitter.com/68vPahK9TQ
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 4, 2022
Since being acquired by the Nets on Feb. 10 in a blockbuster trade that sent James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers, Simmons has been dealing with back soreness. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft, Simmons hasn’t played since the 76ers fell to the Atlanta Hawks in last season’s Eastern Conference semifinals.
In mid-March, Simmons had an epidural in hopes it would improve his back pain and relieve some of the irritation he has suffered with the injury.
Brooklyn is locked into a Play-In Tournament spot and tied with the Charlotte Hornets for the No. 9 seed. Charlotte holds the tiebreaker on Brooklyn for the No. 9 spot and both the Hornets and Nets are one game behind the Atlanta Hawks for the No. 8 spot. The Hawks own the tiebreaker with the Hornets, but do not have the tiebreaker with the Hawks.
To close out the season, the Nets host the Houston Rockets on Tuesday (7:30 ET, NBA League Pass), visit the New York Knicks on Wednesday (7:30 ET, ESPN), and then host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday (7:30 ET, NBA League Pass) and close out the season hosting the Indiana Pacers (3:30 ET, NBA League Pass).
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
