Within hours of his scheduled season debut, Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons reported a return of back pain on Sunday, sources told ESPN, and was ruled out for Monday’s fourth game against the Boston Celtics.
After approximately 10 days of pain-free boot-up after recovering from a herniated disc, Simmons’ induction at the team’s exercise facility was met with surprise and disappointment. On the cusp of joining the Celtics, the Nets had hoped Simmons would be in uniform and active with hopes coach Steve Nash would field him in minutes, sources said.
While the Nash and Nets players had said publicly that they were unsure if Simmons would finally play in Game 4 on Monday, Simmons and the organization had discussed at length a plan for his debut in Game 4 on Monday at the Barclays Center, said sources.
While Simmons wasn’t able to fight with the Nets starters, there was still some hope that his presence on the pitch could help a battering team – and allow Simmons to cross the mental threshold to come back stepping into an NBA game for the first time since a meltdown against the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, kickstarted a tumultuous 10 months of trade inquiries, mental health issues and back problems.
Simmons, 25, is a three-time All-Star with three years and $114 million left on his contract starting next season.