Getty The Ben Simmons drama continues.
The Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers pulled off a blockbuster deal before the trade deadline that swapped Ben Simmons for James Harden.
While Harden has played a key role in the Sixers’ success, Simmons hasn’t played in a single game with the Nets. There are some encouraging signs that he could return during the playoffs, but even that is up in the air as there’s no official timetable.
A back injury has been holding him back from playing with the team, but on April 18 he participated in his first contact practice since becoming a member of the Nets.
Coach Steve Nash says there’s still not a real update, but it does sound promising for the fans out there hoping to see Simmons added back into the lineup.
No Real Update
First time we’ve seen this — KD, Kyrie and Simmons all getting some shots up at the same time after practice.
When addressing the practice, Nash explained that Simmons is moving forward, but there’s not much to share.
“Yesterday was his first day of contact,” Nash said. “Yesterday was his first day of contact, played with some teammates. He’s making progress, but there’s no real update. We’ll just see how he responds & see if he’s able to do more contact tomorrow.”
The Nets are currently in an 0-1 hole against the Boston Celtics, so they could certainly use the help of Simmons in this series and beyond. The longer the Nets are able to stay in the playoffs means the better chance of Simmons coming back.
It’ll be difficult for Simmons to go from simple practices to NBA playoffs basketball, but it does seem like he’s ramping up to do just that. The only problem is there’s no telling when he’ll be ready. We’re quickly coming up on a full year since he’s last seen any NBA action, so there’s not even a guarantee that’ll he’ll be back to his old form right away once he does return.
As for right now, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will have to keep on leading the Nets in order to get them out of this hole.
What’s Next?
GettyKyrie Irving is not a fan-favorite in Boston.
The Nets lost a thriller in game one where Jayson Tatum dropped in a bucket as time expired to secure a win for Boston.
This came in a game where Kyrie Irving got into it several times with fans, and he was eventually fined $50,000 for the numerous incidents. With the next game taking place April 20 in Boston, there’s a near guarantee that he’ll continue to hear boos and jeers from the fans.
For what it’s worth, the constant heckling hasn’t seemed to affect his on-court play, so Nets fans have that going for them. Durant even backed him up.
“Kyrie’s reaction was his reaction and we all stood behind that,” Durant said. “I feel him, exactly what he said. The same energy you get, they’re giving off to him, he’s gonna give it right back – and he played that way.”
If things continue to progress the way that they are, there’s a real possibility Simmons could return before the playoffs end for the Nets. Hopefully they are able to get out of the first round without his help because the best case scenario for him to return at this point seems beyond the Celtics series.
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