The Brooklyn Nets say Ben Simmons is 100% healthy but will he play in the 2023 FIBA World Cup?
Quite some time has passed since the Nets star played any basketball due to what was a serious back problem. By all accounts, he’s now good to go.
It’s that time of year again, which means we’re in for another check-up on the forever unpredictable thing that is Ben Simmons’ health. Except this time there appears to be a twist in the plot: The Nets guard is said to be healthy and ready to play.
Ben Simmons has been given the green light
According to reports on Thursday, Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons is just about ready to play basketball again. It’s understood that Simmons is now 100% healthy after missing the last two months of the regular season due to a back injury. Even more encouraging, is the fact that Simmons reportedly had no setbacks during the offseason and moreover, is no longer participating in rehabilitation sessions, but rather skill work and conditioning as he prepares for training camp.
Speaking on “NBA Today” on Wednesday, ESPN’s Marc Spears cited a source close to Simmons, as he explained that the 27-year-old is in fact on track to being fully fit for the 2023-24 NBA regular season. “I would say he’s in the final stage of prep for the season and he has passed every benchmark and is as healthy as he has ever been since his last year in Philly. Brooklyn has been incredibly supportive and the plan is for him to be the Nets’ point guard and primary ballhandler this coming season. The expectation is he will fully resume his career at the level he has [played at] prior to leaving Philadelphia,” Spears quoted. Needless to say, there has been a surge of positivity surrounding the news with fellow panelist Mikal Bridges stating during a recent appearance on Paul George’s podcast, that he supported Simmons, and had confidence in his ability to return to form.
A recap of Ben Simmons’ journey back from injury
You may recall that it was back in April when the Nets announced that Simmons would miss the rest of the 2022-23 season due to a nerve impingement in his back. At that time, Simmons’ agent, Bernie Lee, told the press that his client “will be healthy to start the next season, for sure,” before adding that his struggles in Brooklyn were “part of the recovery from his previous procedure.” If you didn’t know, Simmons underwent an operation on his back in May 2022, a microdiscectomy to address a herniated disk. With that said, fans were given reason to be optimistic just earlier this month, when Nets general manager Sean Marks told the media during the Summer League, that while the Australian had not played 3-on-3 or 5-on-5 yet, he was in “great physical shape” and raring to go. That now appears to be very much the case as reports suggest that his progress over the last few weeks has been more than impressive.
Will Ben Simmons play for Australia in the 2023 FIBA World Cup?
With the tournament set to start next month, the answer is ‘no.’ As per Marks’ statement in Vegas on July 9th, “This particular summer, he just ran out of time.” Sparks went further too, explaining that “It just wasn’t the right thing to do.” Of course, what this means is that with the extra rest and time to work on skills and conditioning, it’s quite likely that Simmons will in fact be more than ready when the campaign kicks off later this year. It goes without saying that his contribution is something the Nets very much need right here and now. Following two blockbuster trades in which Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were moved on in February, the franchise has been somewhat quiet in the market. Watch this space.