Ben Simmons of the Nets receives worrisome injury update during extended absence

The injuries just keep coming for Ben Simmons. After missing the Brooklyn Nets‘ last three games due to leg soreness, the three-time All-Star was ruled out Monday vs. the Memphis Grizzlies due to a left lower back nerve impingement, the same injury that sidelined him for three months earlier this season.

The update does not bode well for Simmons’ outlook for the rest of the year. After undergoing surgery on his L-4 and L-5 discs during the 2022 offseason, the Aussie missed the second half of last year due to a nerve impingement in the right side of his back. Despite a seven-month rehab process, he played just six games to start 2023-24 before being sidelined by an impingement in his lower left side.

Following the injury earlier this season, a back specialist told The New York Post’s Brian Lewis that the impingement can be “reoccurring” and “unpredictable,” adding that the disc Simmons had surgery on “will never be what it was.”

Interim head coach Kevin Ollie has called Simmons day-to-day. However, Brooklyn’s unclear messaging surrounding the injury does not inspire confidence. The team labeled it as a knee ailment on two separate occasions before clarifying it was a leg issue and now listing it as a nerve impingement in his back.

Ben Simmons has appeared in 15 games this season, averaging 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 5.7 assists. Before the most recent injury, he 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.

The disappointing campaign marks the third straight year Simmons has been unable to stay on the floor for an extended period. After sitting out the first half of the 2021-22 season while forcing his way out of Philadelphia, the former No. 1 pick has appeared in 57 of 178 possible games since Brooklyn traded for him at the 2022 deadline.