Ben Simmons is dealing with a knee injury early in the 2022-23 season.
After appearing in the opening six games of the season for Brooklyn, Simmons has been ruled out for two straight games with left knee soreness, and the details surrounding his return are murky.
It's been a slow start for both Simmons and the Nets. Simmons is averaging career-lows of 6.2 points and 6.5 rebounds to go with 7.3 assists, and Brooklyn, which fired head coach Steve Nash, sits at 2-6 following a loss to Chicago.
What's next for Simmons? Here's everything we know about his injury and the latest news on when he may return to the court.
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What is Ben Simmons' injury?
According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Simmons and the Nets are managing some swelling in his left knee.
"Ben Simmons is coming off of back surgery in May, and he has been ramped up over the course of training camp and the early part of this season," Charania said. "Making sure that you maintain him for the entire season this early in the year, of course, is important, and this is, I think, a cautious approach for the Nets and Simmons."
Simmons has been listed as out on the official injury report with left knee soreness.
Simmons has dealt with a left knee injury in the past. In 2020, he suffered a subluxation of the left patella, which required surgery to remove a loose body inside the knee.
"After consultation with the 76ers medical staff and several specialists, Ben Simmons will undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a loose body in his left knee," the 76ers said in a team release. "The loose body resulted from a left patella subluxation he suffered in Wednesday's game against Washington."
Simmons appeared in 58 of a possible 72 games the following season. He missed a few games with left knee soreness.
How long will Ben Simmons be out?
Simmons was initially questionable for Brooklyn's game against Indiana on Oct. 31. He was later ruled out.
After Simmons sat out against the Bulls on Nov. 1, the 26-year-old did not travel to the first leg of a road trip that includes stops in Washington and Charlotte.
After missing four consecutive games, Simmons joined the Nets in Dallas and was upgraded to questionable for the Nets' meeting with the Mavericks on Monday, Nov. 7. The morning of the game, Simmons told reporters that he would be returning to the floor and expected to play around 20 minutes.
Ben Simmons says he “feels great” and will play vs. Mavs tonight. He thinks he will be limited to about 20 minutes.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) November 7, 2022
After wrapping a three-game road trip in Dallas, the Nets will return to Brooklyn for a home game against the Knicks (Nov. 9) before a four-game West Coast trip that begins in Los Angeles on Nov. 12.
Ben Simmons career stats, highlights
- 15.7 points per game
- 8.0 rebounds per game
- 7.7 assists per game
- 1.7 steals per game
- 0.7 blocks per game
- 3.3 turnovers per game
- 33.9 minutes per game
- 55.8 percent field goal shooting
- 59.6 percent free throw shooting
