Brooklyn are usually not anticipating Australian guard Ben Simmons to play once more this NBA season, although no closing resolution will probably be made till the three-time All-Star meets with a again specialist, coach Jacque Vaughn says.
Simmons is at the moment sidelined with what the Nets say is a nerve impingement — the situation the place tissue or bone compresses nerve fibers — in his again.
Saturday’s sport at Miami marked the sixteenth in a row that Simmons has missed, and his thirty second absence in 74 Brooklyn video games this season.
“For me as a coach, there’s some things that I can control, some things that I can’t control,” Vaughn mentioned.
“What I can’t control is the impingement. What I can control is getting this group ready to play. And then in all honesty, the realism that he’s probably not going to join us for the rest of the year … certainty will come once he continues to be looked at by specialists.”
The Nets introduced on Friday that Simmons will proceed being sidelined “while we determine the best long-term course of treatment.” What which means nonetheless is not absolutely clear, and Brooklyn will not know till Simmons is additional examined.
“We’re going to lean into the specialist and the consultation and I think those answers will come from the specialists,” Vaughn added.
Simmons is a three-time All-Star who did not play in any respect final season, first citing psychological well being points after which a again harm. He began final season with Philadelphia, then was despatched to Brooklyn within the commerce that introduced James Harden to the 76ers.
He has missed video games this season for quite a lot of causes, together with left knee soreness, a left calf pressure and the again drawback.
Simmons’ numbers this season are, by far, the worst of his profession. He’s averaging solely 6.9 factors — he is by no means been beneath 14.3 factors per sport in any of the opposite 4 seasons through which he performed — and is capturing 44 per cent from the foul line.
He final performed February 15, across the time he informed reporters that he was unsure about his function with the crew and prompting Vaughn to say in response that the crew additionally wasn’t certain how it could have the ability to use Simmons with new line-ups following the trades of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
Simmons is making $35.4 million ($A53.2m) this season, and is due $78.2 million ($A117.6m) extra over the subsequent two seasons.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
