Ben Simmons Reportedly Won't Make Nets Debut March 10 vs. 76ers Despite Speculation

Ben Simmons reportedly will not make his Brooklyn Nets debut against the Philadelphia 76ers on March 10 at the Wells Fargo Center despite speculation, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said Saturday on NBA Countdown.

"Ben Simmons, he won't be back this week," Wojnarowski said. "We're 12 days away from that March 10 date that everyone in the league is looking at in Philadelphia, Nets-Sixers. I know this: That won't be Ben Simmons' debut. They would not put him in that game as a first game. So either he comes back just prior or perhaps just after. But his return is going to come on the heels of Durant."

It's not surprising the Nets won't debut Simmons against the Sixers. The 2016 No. 1 pick left Philadelphia on a sour note, and he'll surely receive boos from the crowd once he does make his inevitable return.

His former Sixers teammate, Danny Green, said on his Inside the Green Room podcast (h/t Alex Conrad of Fox Sports) that the atmosphere for Simmons' Philly return would be "hectic" and that it "may be very rough for him."

Regardless, it's not clear when the 25-year-old will be ready to take the court.

Simmons is ramping up activity but has not played this season. In addition, he's reportedly dealing with back soreness in his reconditioning process, which complicates his return timeline.

However, it doesn't seem like the Nets are worried about Simmons' back. Head coach Steve Nash said Saturday the aliment is likely because he hasn't played in so long.

"It's not like an injury. It's just as he's returning to play his back's flared up a little bit. ... But it's not a long-term thing.
"He hasn't played a game since July. June? So I think that's just a part of his process in returning to play. As you ramp up, you're a little bit susceptible to certain things, as you would be with muscle soreness or tightness. He's having a little tightness with his back."    "

When Simmons does return, he figures to be a significant factor for the Nets alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The franchise certainly could use his help, too, as Brooklyn entered Saturday's game at the Milwaukee Bucks eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 31-29 record.