Ben Simmons ways away from a return, says Steve Nash

Ben Simmons is not ready to compete yet, and he’s ways away from returning, according to the latest comments from Nets‘ head coach Steve Nash.

“He’s not ready for even one-on-one, let alone three-on-three, five-on-five,” Nets coach said, per NY Post.

Simmons hasn’t seen any action since last season’s playoffs. The three-time All-Star wasn’t ready for a full practice Saturday, despite Brooklyn’s initial expectations that he could be taking part in team activities by the end of this week.

“He’s got to get to a place where he can go full speed unopposed, one-on-oh, and then we’ll talk about and hopefully quickly he can go to one-on-one, three-on-three, five-on-five,” Nash continued.

Simmons has dealt with a back issue since he joined the Nets at the trade deadline. He was ready to be cleared to join the Nets’ practice, but Brooklyn changed his timeline.

The All-Defense point forward had been holding out this season, citing mental health issues, and has been ramping up with the Nets since they acquired him.

Simmons has a history of back injuries that held him back the previous seasons. He faced a similar issue during the 2019-2020 season. He suffered nerve impingement in his lower back during a Feb. 22 game at Milwaukee next season.

The time for Brooklyn is limited, considering they’re trying to make a run in the last part of the season to avoid the play-in tournament. They are eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 34-33 record.

They will need every win in the upcoming games and Simmons, who was the biggest prize in the Harden blockbuster trade, seems really far from a potential return.

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