Simmons says back improving, but too early to target Nets return - ESPN

NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets forward Ben Simmons admitted Friday night that the lower back nerve impingement that's sidelined him for nearly two months has him as frustrated as he's ever been.

«It's probably one of the most frustrating points in my career just because I wanna be out there to help my team win and compete,» he said before Brooklyn took on the defending champion Denver Nuggets at Barclays Center. «But at the end of the day, it's one of those things that's a part of sports. Not every game's promised. Injuries happen. Unfortunately, it happens. So, for me, it's just focusing on what I can do now and doing what I can to get back on the floor and contribute.»

Simmons has missed 21 straight games since suffering the injury against the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 6.

He played the rest of the Bucks game with the injury, which was initially deemed a hip issue. But an MRI a few days later revealed the nerve impingement, the same issue that ended his 2022-23 season early.

Since then, progress has been slow. The Nets said earlier this week that Simmons has «further increased» his individual work and his progress would be updated again in two weeks, meaning he'll be out until at least early January.

Asked specifically what he's been doing, Simmons said, «I just started on-court stuff, moving around, get some shots up. So just starting from the bottom and work my way up.»

Simmons missed the majority of the past two seasons, first while looking for a trade out of Philadelphia and then while dealing with various back issues. Across the six games he played at the start of this season, he averaged 6.5 points, a career-high 10.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists, all while starting and playing his preferred position of point guard.

However,