76ers Rival Watch: Brooklyn Nets Shut Down Ben Simmons

The Brooklyn Nets have officially shut down Ben Simmons for the remainder of the 2022-2023 NBA season. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Nets head coach, Jacque Vaughn, has announced that Simmons is beginning a rehab program on his back.

Last week, the Nets offered an update on the current state of Simmons’ health. In the update, the Nets revealed that Simmons had been diagnosed with a nerve impingement, an issue he dealt with back when he was a member of the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2019-2020 season.

Although the Nets didn’t shut down Simmons for the season initially, Jacque Vaughn eventually mentioned that Simmons would “probably not” join the Nets for the rest of the year.

If the season ended today with the Sixers locking in the third seed in the Eastern Conference, they would draw a first-round series against the Nets. With the latest update, the Sixers wouldn’t face Simmons in the playoffs for the first time since they traded him away during the 2021-2022 season.

Since joining the Nets last season, Simmons has played in just 42 games. He averaged seven points, six rebounds, and six assists during that time.

The last time Simmons took the court was on February 15, when the Nets hosted the Miami Heat. Since then, he’s missed the following 17 games. With the regular season winding down, Simmons will focus on rehabbing his back, looking ahead to the future.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.