Ben Simmons has recovered from the back surgery he underwent in March and will be a full participant in Brooklyn Nets training camp, beginning Oct. 1, with no restrictions, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.
“Ben is fully cleared and is a full participant for the start of camp,” Simmons’ agent, Bernie Lee, told Haynes. “He is excited to get started.”
Simmons had tried to address the issue without surgery earlier in the year, but in March he opted for the longer-term fix with a microscopic partial discectomy to alleviate a nerve impingement in his lower back.
After sitting out the 2021-21 campaign entirely, Simmons has played in just 57 games the last two seasons as he has struggled with a myriad of back issues. Last season he played in just 15 games, averaging 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists in just under 24 minutes a night.
At this point, we should be taking these Simmons updates with a very large grain of salt. He has not been able to stay healthy, and he’s frankly not worth the fuss anymore even if he is in better physical condition.
That’s likely why Simmons opted for the longer view on surgery and recovery, because if he’s going to get any kind of contract after this season, he needs to be healthy and he needs to show this season that while he might never be an All-Star again, he still can be a valuable piece of an NBA rotation.
