Ben Simmons’ experience in Brooklyn doesn’t go well.
The three-time All-Star was ruled out for the rest of the season Tuesday when he begins a rehab program on his back, Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said.
Brooklyn Nets’ Ben Simmons, right, controls the ball against Philadelphia 76ers’ Georges Niang at the Wells Fargo Center on November 22, 2022 in Philadelphia. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Simmons hasn’t played since Brooklyn’s Last Game before the NBA All-Star break and has played just 42 games this season.
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Simmons missed games this season for various reasons, including knee and left calf injuries.
The back injury is due to a pinched nerve, according to the Nets.
«For me as a coach, there are some things I can control, some things I can’t control,» Vaughn said Saturday. «What I can’t control is the impact. What I can control is getting this group ready to play. And then, in all honesty, the realism that he probably won’t be joining us for the rest of the year… certainty will come a time he continues to be examined by specialists».
Simmons has had his worst statistical season after missing all of the season 2021-22 due to mental health issues and a back injury.
Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons before a game against the New York Knicks on February 13, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
In his first full season with the Nets, Simmons averaged career lows in minutes (26.3), points (6.9), assists (6.1), and rebounds (6.3).
Vaughn told reporters Tuesday that the organization believes Simmons can return to the player he has been throughout his career.
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«That’s our goal. And in general, you just think. He’s 6-10, athletic, what he can do and bring to our team, how he can help our group on both ends of the floor,» Vaughn said, according to the New York daily news. «We want to be involved in that. We want to see that. I want to coach Ben, and I want to be able to push Ben to come back to the fully defensive team and impact our team on both ends of the floor. So, that’s definitely the goal at the future».
Brooklyn is trying to stay out of the NBA play-in tournament during a season of great change within the organization.
Brooklyn Nets’ Ben Simmons during the final seconds of a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 1, 2023. (Elsa/Getty Images)
With just seven games left in the 2022-23 season, the Nets and head coach Steve Nash agreed to part ways. Vaughn, who was serving as an assistant coach at the time, replaced Nash.
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In February, days before the NBA trade deadline, Brooklyn revised its roster and traded Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant after the two stars asked out.
The Nets are 40-35 and tied for sixth in the Eastern Conference.
Associated Press contributed to this report