Nets’ Ben Simmons Faces Yet Another Setback, Will Miss Rest Of Season

Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons will miss the rest of the 2023-24 regular season due to lingering issues from a back injury. The three-time All-Star has struggled to stay healthy for most of his career and has only appeared in 57 games since the 2021-22 season.

“Ben Simmons will remain out for the remainder of the season while he consults with specialists and explores treatment options for the nerve impingement in his lower back,” the Nets said in a statement. “Simmons, along with his representatives and Nets medical personnel, are currently in discussions with numerous experts to determine the course of action that will provide him with the best opportunity for long-term sustainable health.”

After going first overall in the 2016 NBA Draft and missing his entire first season with an injury, Simmons became a fixture of the resurgent Philadelphia 76ers at the turn of the decade. Along with reigning MVP Joel Embiid, Simmons was quickly becoming a key member of a young championship contender.

Despite his earlier success, many were quick to criticize Simmons, claiming that his Rookie of the Year award was not deserved because it was technically his second season. Others consistently questioned his short-range shooting style in a league increasingly geared toward three-pointers.

For many fans already critical of Simmons, his performance at the end of the 2020-21 season was a sort of affirmation. The point guard performed exceptionally poorly during the 76ers’ playoff run, becoming the worst free-throw shooter in postseason history. In the team’s Eastern Conference Semifinal series against the Atlanta Hawks, Simmons did not attempt a shot in the final quarter of five games, including Game 7 when the team lost in an upset as the first seed.

Simmons became a scapegoat among 76ers fans, who readily blamed him for the team’s failures. The team’s former rising star responded in famously cryptic fashion, holding out for the 2021-22 season and claiming to have a back injury. He was eventually traded to the Brooklyn Nets in a trade that also included James Harden. The trade accomplished very little for both teams in retrospect, but with Simmons as the direct counterbalance to Harden, the Nets received shockingly little in the deal.

Simmons has since spent two seasons in Brooklyn, during which the team has completely given up its championship pursuits for the moment. He has only managed to appear in a limited capacity as his back injury and other ailments have severely impacted his production, even when he has been healthy enough to play.

This latest development makes Simmons’ future even murkier and could signal the end of his career. He has one year remaining on his current contract and would receive $40 million, far beyond his current value if he can compete in the 2024-25 season.