76ers Rival Watch: Nets Coach Doubts Ben Simmons Will Play Again

The last time Ben Simmons suited up to play for the Brooklyn Nets was on February 15 in a home game against the Miami Heat. Since then, Simmons has been dealing with a back injury. On Friday night, the Nets released a statement revealing Simmons is dealing with an impingement, which is an injury he suffered while with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2020.

“Ben Simmons has been diagnosed with a nerve impingement in his back after a reevaluation earlier today,” the Nets said in a statement on Friday. “He will remain out of action while we determine the best long-term course of treatment.”

When Brooklyn head coach Jacque Vaughn spoke about Simmons’ recent diagnosis on Friday night, he made it clear that Simmons was not shut down for the remainder of the season.

When Vaughn addressed the media on Saturday ahead of Brooklyn’s matchup on the road against the Miami Heat, he was singing a slightly different tune, according to The Associated Press.

“For me as a coach, there’s some things that I can control, some things that I can’t control,” Vaughn said. “What I can’t control is the impingement. What I can control is getting this group ready to play. And then in all honesty, the realism that he’s probably not going to join us for the rest of the year … certainty will come once he continues to be looked at by specialists.”

With just eight games left in the season, Simmons would need a quick recovery and ramp-up phase if he planned to return to the court before the playoffs. While there isn’t a timetable in place, Simmons’ return to the court this season seems doubtful.

If he’s able to recover in time to return to the floor for the playoffs, there is a chance Simmons could face his former team in the first round of the playoffs as the third-seeded Sixers and the sixth-seeded Nets are currently matched up for a series.

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

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