Report: Brooklyn Nets are hoping Ben Simmons will return in time for playoffs

The Brooklyn Nets reportedly are hoping that Ben Simmons will return in time for the playoffs.

Simmons has yet to play in a game for the Nets since being acquired at the trade deadline.

“Nets three-time All-Star Ben Simmons has resumed light on-court workouts, sources tell me, and the hope remains that he will be able to ramp up for a potential return in time for the playoffs,” NBA insider Shams Charania said. “The Nets and Simmons have worked together on managing his back issues, which flared up when he was previously aiming for a mid-March return.

 

“And now with the Nets jockeying for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference, a Simmons return makes the team’s ceiling even greater for a potentially deeper run.”

There is no doubt that the return of Simmons would help the Nets reach their full potential in the 2021-22 season. Availability issues with several key players have set the Nets back throughout the campaign.

Right now, the Nets are the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference and have a 40-37 record. The team certainly would benefit on the defensive end from having an elite defender like Simmons in the lineup, and it also could use him to facilitate on offense.

The Nets are likely going to be faced with a tough first-round matchup. Of course, they’ll have to get there first and may have to win in the league’s play-in tournament just to make the playoffs in the East.

For his career, Simmons averages 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game while shooting 56.0 percent from the field.