Brooklyn Nets coach Jacque Vaughn has confessed the NBA team is not expecting guard Ben Simmons to play again this season.
The 26-year-old Australian, who has not played since February 15, is currently sidelined with nerve impingement in his back, but not no final decision will be made about his availability until he meets with a back specialist.
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“For me as a coach, there’s some things that I can control, some things that I can’t control,” Vaughn said on Saturday.
“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.
“We’re going to lean into the specialist and the consultation and I think those answers will come from the specialists.”
Simmons, who started last season with the Philadelphia 76ers, did not play at all in 2021/22 due to mental health issues and a back injury, traded to Brooklyn in exchange for James Harden.
The three-time NBA All-Star has missed several games this season due to left knee soreness, a left calf strain and the ongoing back problem. He has played in just 42 games, including nine appearances off the bench.
Simmons, who is making AU$53 million this season, currently averages 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists in 26.3 minutes per game, shooting 44 per cent from the foul line.
The Nets are currently seventh in the Eastern Conference standings with a 39-34 record, most recently suffering a two-point loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday AEDT.
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