Ben Simmons reportedly told the Nets a mental block was creating stress that could trigger his back issues.
Also: Simmons will undergo back surgery.
Nets:
Ben Simmons medical update. pic.twitter.com/KXENQjZIg1
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) May 4, 2022
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
Brooklyn Nets' Ben Simmons is expected to need 3-to-4 months to make a full recovery on back surgery, sources tell ESPN. The expectation is that he'll be ready to return well ahead of training camp.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 4, 2022
Simmons has missed target after target after target. I wouldn’t assume he’ll return in just 3-4 months or even by training camp. His issues are clearly complex.
This surgery could support Simmons’ grievance against the 76ers. His mental-health issues might have made the 76ers wrong for fining him, though that’s a complicated issue. But if he were physically unable to play, how could just they justify fining him for not playing? Of course, it’ll depend when and how severely Simmons’ back issues flared up and what he can prove about the timing. He first cited back pain in Philadelphia, but the problem re-emerged in Brooklyn.
A confounding question: If Simmons needs this surgery, how the heck did he and the Nets initially plan on him returning in Game 4 of their first-round series against the Celtics?
Hopefully, this surgery solves all Simmons’ problems. But for now, it’s just another mysterious turn in a long saga.