The first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Ben Simmons looked like he would be an All-Star caliber player and a defensive stalwart for the foreseeable future. This much seemed true despite nothing close to a reliable outside shot.
After missing the first season after he was drafted, Simmons was named the 2017-18 Rookie of the Year. The 27-year-old was named to three straight All-Star teams from 2018-19 to 2020-21. During those three seasons, he averaged 16 points, eight rebounds, and 7.6 assists a contest.
There were very few players who caused the opposition so much frustration as Simmons did while on defense. He led the league averaging 2.1 steals in 2019-20. Simmons was named to back-to-back All-Defensive First Teams in 2019-20 and 2020-21. He finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2019-20 and second in 2020-21.
NBA News: Ben Simmons Sustains Yet Another Injury
Left Last Night’s Game With Left Leg Soreness
Saturday night saw the Brooklyn Nets fall to the Minnesota Timberwolves by the score of 101-86. Near the midway point of the third quarter, the Nets’ Simmons was forced to leave the game. He did not return, and a team spokesman later called the injury ‘left leg soreness’.
As of this writing, there is no further word on if he will be forced to miss action and for how long.
Off the Court Way More Than on it
So far this season, the Nets have played 56 games. Simmons has only appeared in 14 of them.
After playing in six of Brooklyn’s first seven games, Simmons missed 38 straight due to a nerve irritation in his back. The Nets were indeed weary of his injury history, playing him no more than 24 minutes in any of the eight games he dressed since returning.
The injuries started the year he got drafted, as he did not play at all in the 2016-17 season due to a fractured foot. He was close to an iron man the following two seasons though, missing just a combined three games.
The 2020-21 postseason saw Simmons face much of the blame for the Philadelphia 76ers getting eliminated by the Atlanta Hawks. He was extremely tentative on offense even famously forgoing a wide-open layup.
Simmons decided he no longer wanted to play for Philadelphia and held out until he was traded to Brooklyn in a deal that saw James Harden go to the 76ers. Simmons was later diagnosed with a herniated disk in his back and did not play for Brooklyn in 2021-22.
Last season, he appeared in 42 of 82 regular season contests for the Nets. He did not appear in the postseason. Simmons is signed for one more season after this one at over $40 million.
