It appears the mystery of Ben Simmons’s absence during the playoffs has been solved as the former Sixer will go under the knife on Thursday for a lingering back issue, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Brooklyn Nets say Ben Simmons will undergo surgery on his back on Thursday.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 4, 2022
The Brooklyn Nets continued to tease the debut of their prized trade deadline acquisition, and now we all know why it never happened. Simmons tweaked his back while preparing to get in the lineup for Brooklyn’s opening-round series with the Boston Celtics.
Now, the 25-year-old swingman will have a microdiscectomy procedure after getting opinions from “multiple back specialists,” according to the Nets. He is expected to need a three or four-month recovery period but be ready to go for the start of next season.
The last time Simmons saw game action was on June 20th of last year, when the Philadelphia 76ers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Atlanta Hawks in seven games. What kind of player he will be after missing nearly a year and a half is anyone’s guess, including Nets brass, one would think.
Simmons’s former teammates have their work cut out for them as Philly is down big in Miami in Game 2. The Heat opened up a 15-point lead on the Joel Embiid-less Sixers and look poised to grab a 2-0 series lead. Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook for a live line on the game.
