Nets' Ben Simmons 'exceeded everything' during back injury rehab
Nets guard Ben Simmons, in street clothes, looks on from the bench during the second half of an NBA game against the Jazz at Barclays Center on April 2. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
During exit interviews in April, Nets general manager Sean Marks said the hope for Ben Simmons is that he would be “100% healthy" by Sept. 1, well ahead of training camp.
On Thursday, Simmons' agent Bernie Lee gave a positive update on his client's recovery from a back injury that limited Simmons to 42 games last season.
“There’s been a protocol that’s established for him this summer that has, like, benchmarks and measurements just to make sure everything is staying on track,” Lee said on “The NBA Today Show” on SiriusXM radio. “I would tell you that he’s exceeded everything.
“The expectation is that he’ll be able to start the season Day One of training camp, definitely the regular season, without any limitations in any way.”
Lee’s comments come after ESPN’s Marc Spears reported Wednesday that Simmons is in the final stage of prep for the season.
Simmons, who’s been training in Florida, won’t play for the Australian national team in the FIBA World Cup that runs from Aug. 25-Sept. 10. His last NBA game was Feb. 15 before the team shut him down for the season due to a nerve impingement in his back.
On July 9, Marks said Simmons was in great shape physically and mentally after visiting him. He noted Simmons wasn’t doing three-on-three or five-on-five drills, but the team wasn’t worried because it was still early. He also believed Simmons, when healthy, can regain his All-Star form from 2021 while with the 76ers.
“This is not something we’re going to rush him back in to play five-on-five in the next couple weeks,” Marks said at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. “But he’s progressing. He’ll be ready to go hopefully very, very soon.”
Three weeks later, Simmons’ agent offered more hope that's still the plan. Training camps open Sept. 30 for teams playing preseason games outside North America and Oct. 3 for everyone else.
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
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