The Nets don’t seem to have a lot of clarity about exactly why Ben Simmons won’t play against the Hawks.
Ben Simmons will remain sidelined for the Brooklyn Nets‘ third straight game Saturday vs. the Atlanta Hawks due to a left leg injury. The team initially listed Simmons as questionable before ruling him out due to left knee soreness.
Brooklyn later clarified that it was a leg injury, not a knee. This marks the second time the Nets have needed to correct the three-time All-Star’s status. After Simmons initially suffered the injury during a February 24 loss at Minnesota, interim head coach Kevin Ollie said it was a knee issue before the team corrected him and said it was a leg ailment.
Simmons has an extensive history of issues with his left knee, among numerous other injuries. The Aussie missed two extended periods due to a knee injury early last season, having blood drained and receiving platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections both times. After missing three months this season due to a back injury, he injured the knee during his first game back on January 29 vs. the Utah Jazz and was sidelined the following game due to swelling.
Here is the play when Simmons injured his left knee. This is the same knee that caused him to miss extended time twice last season.
He had blood drained and received PRP injections both times. https://t.co/bmKDh7ZU63 pic.twitter.com/CnE0akAnGk
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) January 31, 2024
After missing the second half of last season due to a nerve impingement in his back, the former number-one pick has made 15 appearances this year, averaging 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in 24 minutes per game. Before his most recent injury, Simmons struggled to make an impact in Ollie’s first games as head coach, averaging 3.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists over his last three appearances.
Cam Thomas will also miss his third straight game on Saturday. The 22-year-old is tied with Mikal Bridges as Brooklyn’s leading scorer this season, averaging 20.9 points per game on 44/36/84 shooting splits.
Ollie called Simmons and Thomas day-to-day.
“I just know they’re getting back healthy. Slowly but surely, they’re getting back on the court,” the coach said. “We trust in our medical staff with all our faith that they’re doing the right things off the court to get better. I know they’re constantly doing their rehab, trying to get better so they can be contributing to this team’s success going forward. So it’s just day-to-day now, but hopefully, we’ll see them soon.”
Kevin Ollie continues to call Cam Thomas and Ben Simmons day-to-day:
“I just know they’re getting back healthy. Slowly but surely, they’re getting back on the court… It’s just day-to-day now, but hopefully we’ll see them soon.” pic.twitter.com/RqzlCiV8Tu
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) March 2, 2024
Following a dominant 124-97 win over Atlanta Thursday, the Nets can cut the Hawks’ lead for the last Eastern Conference play-in spot to two games while gaining the season tiebreaker with a victory Saturday.
About the Author
Erik Slater is the credentialed Brooklyn Nets beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He’s a graduate of Lehigh University and the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, as well as a Lehigh Football and Syracuse Football alum.
Source link
