Ben Simmons to Play for Nets vs. Jazz After Back Injury; 1st Game Since November 6

Ben Simmons is back.

The Brooklyn Nets announced that the power forward will make his first appearance for the team since Nov. 6 against the Utah Jazz on Monday after missing nearly three months with nerve impingement in his lower back.

Getting Simmons back is good news for an 18-27 Nets team that is submerged in a 5-17 stretch, though it's fair to question just what he offers at this stage in his career.

Before his latest injury setback, the 27-year-old was averaging just 6.5 points and six shots per game in six total contests. He contributed in other areas, posting 10.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists per contest, and he remains a versatile defender.

But Simmons has become a complete non-factor as a scorer, and his increasing lack of aggression as his career has progressed has seemed to stem, at least in part, from a fear of being fouled and sent to the charity stripe.

That fear isn't completely unfounded—Simmons is shooting 25 percent from the free-throw line this season, albeit on under one attempt per game.

But early in his career, he was much more willing to attack the basket, and his ability to get downhill as a fast, 6'10" attacker was difficult for defenders to deal with, especially in transition.

The bigger issue, however, is simply staying on the court. Since the Nets acquired him in Nov. 2023, Simmons has appeared in just 50 games. He didn't play at all for the team in the 2021-22 campaign after he was acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers and played 42 games last season.

And while the Nets may want to rebuild ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline, given their recent level of play, Simmons is nothing more than a salary-matching contract at this point. And how many teams would be thrilled about his $37.8 million cap hit this season or $40.3 million cap hit next year, given his general lack of availability?

It's one of the more prohibitive contracts in the NBA. If Simmons is going to turn around his career after being a three-time All-Star early in his Philadelphia days, he's going to have to do so in Brooklyn.

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