Nets guard Ben Simmons to miss at least 2 more weeks due to nerve irritation in his back
Ben Simmons is still sidelined indefinitely.
The Brooklyn Nets guard will miss at least another two weeks due to nerve irritation in his lower back, the team announced. Simmons hasn’t played since Nov. 6, meaning he’ll miss just shy of two months due to the issue at a minimum.
“Ben Simmons has displayed consistent strength improvement in the affected area over the past two weeks and has further increased individual court work,” the team said. “His status will be updated again in approximately two weeks.”
Simmons first missed three games in November due to a hip contusion. Then an MRI revealed a nerve impingement on the lower left side of his back, and that has kept him sidelined ever since.
Simmons has been injured for much of his time in the league, ever since the Philadelphia 76ers selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. He missed his entire rookie season due to a foot injury, and then he missed all of the 2021-22 season due to a back injury that came in the middle of a contract dispute with the 76ers.
He landed in Brooklyn before last season, and he played in just 42 games for the Nets that campaign. Simmons has not played in more than 58 games in a single season since 2018-19.
Simmons has appeared in six games for the Nets this season, and he’s averaging 6.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists. The 27-year-old is in the fourth year of a five-year, $177 million deal.
The Nets hold a 13-13 record headed into Wednesday’s game against the New York Knicks. They’ve lost three straight and four of their past five games. If Simmons is out for another two weeks, he’ll miss at least the next nine games.
