Report: Ben Simmons Received Epidural to Help Back Injury, Return Timeline Still Unknown

Ben Simmons has been dealing with mental health issues and back problems throughout the 2021-22 season and still hasn’t made an appearance this year. 

In order to inch closer to his Nets start, Simmons received an epidural while the team was in Orlando, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported on Wednesday. Simmons’s problem with his back involves his L-4 disc of the lower spine.

While the Nets guard is still recovering from the procedure, his return timeline is still to be determined, coach Steve Nash said. The team is hoping the epidural will make Simmons’s recovery progress quicker.

Wojnarowski added that the Nets hope to have Simmons play in at least a few games before the Eastern Conference playoffs. This means Simmons would need to recover in just a few short weeks as the playoffs officially begin on April 12 with the play-in tournament.

The Nets currently sit in the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference standings, making their chances of avoiding the play-in tournament uncertain at the moment.