Ben Simmons won’t play back-to-backs indefinitely due to injury, Nets HC says | News, results, highlights, stats and rumours

The Brooklyn Nets do not plan to use Ben Simmons for both legs of back-to-backs for the foreseeable future.

Head coach Jordi Fernández told reporters the veteran guard will be out against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night, with the Nets turning around to play the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. This is the plan the team will follow until told otherwise.

Persistent back injuries caused Simmons to miss all of 2022-2023 and then appear in just 57 combined games over the next two seasons. He went through a microscopic partial discectomy in March, which was his second back procedure in three years.

The NBA’s Rest Policy includes exceptions that allows “star” players to miss games without violating the rules. A documented injury history is one of those exceptions, one that Simmons would easily qualify for.

More than anything, Fernández’s comments reinforce how the 28-year-old is simply a sunk cost for Brooklyn at this point.

Fans have long since given up on the idea of ​​Simmons becoming a dynamic two-way force, one who made three straight All-Star games, ever again. Since joining the Nets, he has struggled to stay healthy and his production has come a long way since his Philadelphia 76ers days. He has averaged 6.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists.

Simmons still looks more concerning than the raw numbers too restrained around the basket for someone of his size and skill. There’s simply no reason for him to keep passing out on shot attempts in the paint like this.

Simmons is headed to free agency in the offseason, and it will be fascinating to see how his market plays out. At this rate, there might not be a ton of takers.