2 min read • April 17, 2022
Posted in
Despite not having played a game this season, Ben Simmons’ recovery is possibly the biggest story in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The news out of Brooklyn regarding Simmons’ ailing back has been nebulous and confusing at best, but the latest reporting says that Simmons will begin practicing against teammates this week ahead of a potential return around Game 4 of the first round.
Even with the apparent ramping up of his participation, the ProBasketballDocs wouldn’t count on Simmons being ready to return that soon.
Brooklyn’s optimistic hope for an appearance in Game 4 would be the best-case scenario for Simmons and the Nets, and not one that the Docs anticipate.
Head coach Steve Nash told reporters last week that Simmons had yet to move beyond scrimmaging one-on-zero and was still running on an anti-gravity treadmill, which is used during rehab from injuries to ease the impact of landing.
That he was still doing that even a few days ago does not translate into the 25-year-old playing in the first round that will go from Sunday until May 1.
The ProBasketballDocs were doubtful of Simmons being available or impactful for the Nets this season when Nash told media that he received an epidural for an irritated disc in mid-March, as it likely meant he was dealing with an underlying nerve issue that is difficult to solve this quickly.
While we still have the entire playoffs to go, this theory is bearing out.
The Nets are 6-4 in their last 10 since Kyrie Irving became a full-time player, winning the final 4 games of the regular season.
Bruce Brown and Nic Claxton have been tasked with doing the Simmons-esque dutie, mainly gathering rebounds, facing up perimeter threats, and scoring at the rim.
Brown is averaging 14.7 points on 53% shooting since the all-star break and produced an 18-point, 9-rebound, 8-assist, and 3-steal performance in the play-in win over the Cavaliers.
Written by
