Nets' Ben Simmons sits out another game with knee soreness
Nets guard Ben Simmons waits next to head coach Jacque Vaughn in the second half of an NBA game against the Heat at Barclays Center on Feb. 15. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
CHICAGO — Ben Simmons sat quietly at his locker at United Center on Friday, trying to absorb the fact that his left knee was continuing to fail him.
Nets coach Jacque Vaughn announced 90 minutes before tipoff against the Bulls that the team had put Simmons and his knee in a “strengthening phase.” Simmons sat out Friday night’s game and Vaughn said he is expected to miss Sunday’s game in Atlanta.
Including Friday night, the Nets are into a busy stretch of 12 games in 21 days.
Simmons, who has been dealing with knee and back issues all season, had his knee drained and received a plasma-rich platelet injection right before the All-Star break. He said he spent the entire break working on his knee and was hopeful that he would be feeling better once the team resumed playing.
Earlier this week, however, the team played five-on-five, and once again things weren’t right.
“It wasn’t moving,” Simmons said, shaking his head. “I didn’t move and didn’t have that strength.”
Friday’s game was the 17th that Simmons has missed this season. Though Vaughn has ruled him out for at least two games, Simmons said he was going to have the knee evaluated in “about a week.”
“Structurally, it’s good,” Simmons said. “I think it’s just a strength thing and getting it under control. It’s a frustrating process with the back and dealing with it all. It’s just something I have to deal with and it’s taking time. I just have to be consistent with it and stay on top of it. We’re trying to work toward me coming back to being in a place where I can play at a level I can contribute and move.”
Simmons missed all of last season with back and mental health issues. Vaughn was asked if there had been any consideration to shutting down Simmons for the season.
“Zero,” Vaughn said. “We’re 24 games from making it into the playoffs and so the thought was we could use the time [during] the All-Star break where we didn’t play games. And then it’s a great time to reassess; like, can we take advantage of no games? And then where does that lead us down the road a little bit?”
Simmons, for his part, wants to be back out on the court.
Said Simmons: “I’ve been battling it all year. I haven’t been 100% all year. To me, I just want to be on the court, regardless of what it is and whatever position I have, I’m just trying to give the team what I can.”
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.
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