Nets' Ben Simmons Begins Light Individual Court Work Amid Back Injury Rehab

The Brooklyn Nets announced Ben Simmons has returned to "light individual court work" as he navigates his return from the back trouble that has sidelined him for six games.

The team said Simmons' status will be reexamined in seven to 10 days.

This was one of the concerns when the three-time All-Star missed the entire 2021-22 season and eventually underwent a microdiscectomy procedure on his back. Once back trouble becomes a problem, it may never fully go away.

Sure enough, Simmons was shut down after appearing in 42 games last year due to a nerve impingement in his back, and now the issue has flared up yet again.

The New York Post's Brian Lewis cited a back specialist on Nov. 15 who said the injury to the 27-year-old is something that could require only a recovery of two to three weeks. However, the specialist also cautioned there's no certainty as to when the nerve impingement might recur.

The version of Simmons who made an All-NBA team in 2019-20 and was a two-time All-Defensive honoree is almost certainly never coming back. To open this season, he was at least providing nice value for Brooklyn. Through six games, he's averaging 6.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists.

Now, it feels like the 6'10" guard is going back to square one.