Ben Simmons has made a full recovery from back and knee injuries that kept him out of action for the remainder of last year’s NBA season and is now ready to re-enter the court.
Ben Simmon’s career has been eclipsed many times by his injuries, hampering his performances in court and ultimately leading him to sometimes bow out of the competition. Nevertheless, Ben Simmons has still accomplished a number of accolades in his career during the seasons in which he was in perfect condition.
Ben Simmons playing for 76ers
Ben Simmons made a name for himself immediately after his debut in 2017-18 where he was named Rookie of the Year and became part of the NBA All-Rookie Team along with Kyle Kuzma, Lauri Markkanen, Donovan Mitchell, and Jayson Tatum. In the years that followed, Simmons was named to the All-Star Game for three consecutive years.
During his Philadelphia 76ers tenure, Ben Simmons had an outstanding career, leading the 76ers in scoring and emerging as a candidate for the annual Defensive Player of the Year award.
A timeline of Simmons’ injuries and seasons with Nets
However, his fruitful career with Philadelphia ended when he was dealt to the Brooklyn Nets in February 2022 along with Andre Drummond and Seth Curry, as well as two future protected first-round draft picks, in exchange for James Harden and Paul Millsap. A little over a month after the trade took place, Simmons was diagnosed with a herniated disk in his lower back, and in May of that year, he underwent back surgery.
Later that year, Simmons made his official debut in October 2022 in a match against the New Orleans Pelicans, where he made a dismal record of 6 fouls and 4 points.
Simmons struggled to get back on his feet at first, but afterwards, he flourished on the court for the next games, recording a season high of 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists in a 127–115 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. He continued to play in tip-top shape until January 2023.
However, complications with his health started to arise in February, when he received treatment for his knee injury, and in March, when they found out that Simmons had an inflammation in his back.
Nearing the end of March, Coach Jacque Vaughn announced that he would not be able to continue the rest of the season.
“Ben will not be joining us the rest of the year and through the playoffs,” Vaughn said “After consulting with our doctors, multiple specialists, he’s just going to begin a rehab program. Our doctors and the specialists feel and think that he’ll have a full recovery so that starts now.”
The Brooklyn Nets Manager, Sean Marks, also supported Simmons in his recovery process. In an interview with ESPN, Marks stated that Simmons went through a lot and this was not something that he wanted.
“I know he wants to be part of this team. Nobody likes being told ‘You didn’t amount to what you should have, and it shouldn’t be this, you should have done this, and so forth’ ” Marks said.
Simmons is back
After allowing him to rest and recuperate, Coach Vaughn announced on September 26 the much-awaited comeback of a healthy Ben Simmons:
“Ben is playing 5-on-5, no restrictions, so he should be ready for training camp. Pretty simple that way, which is good for me to say. And I think that fits into exciting time for me to have this group together, no restrictions at the beginning of the year.” Vaughn said in a statement.
NBA Central also announced the news on X: “Ben Simmons is 100% healthy and will be ready for training camp 🔥
He’s back 🍿”
Ben Simmons is 100% healthy and will be ready for training camp 🔥
He’s back 🍿 pic.twitter.com/8wI9ORFbmh
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 26, 2023
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