On April 1, Beijing time, the 2021-22 NBA regular season is in full swing. As of today, the Nets have a record of 40 wins and 36 losses, temporarily ranking 8th in the East, four wins behind the 6th place Raptors in the East. According to the current ranking, the Nets will have to fight for a playoff spot through playoffs.
In the current Nets lineup, there is one important player who has not played so far, and he is Simmons. Simmons has not played for the Nets since the mid-season trade. Earlier today, Nets coach Nash gave an update on Simmons, saying, "Obviously, we all want Simmons to play for us, and we all want him to come back. But at the same time, we are also preparing every day for him not to play. Because we don't know if he can come back, and no one knows when and how he will come back. ”
According to previous reports, Simmons suffered an injury to a lumbar disc herniation, which was related to the back problems he had suffered in 2020. Simmons received an epidural injection last week to relieve pain. According to nets Michael Grady, Simmons not only had lower back pain, but he already had pain in his legs, and the pain in his legs was relieved after receiving injections.
Speaking about if Simmons couldn't play, Nash reiterated the team's goal, saying, "Seriously, it's a really fun thing to grow up with the team and solve problems together and then get recognition. We strive to live in the moment every day and look forward to making some progress every day. Of course, our goal is to compete for the championship. ”
Last season, Simmons averaged 32.4 minutes per game, averaging 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game, shooting 55.7 percent from the field. If he can't play, it's a very big blow to the Nets.