Steve Nash mentioned the Nets weren’t contemplating too closely the danger of re-injury to Ben Simmons’ decrease again. The head coach mentioned the group was weighing whether or not the All-Star guard can be able to play in any respect.
“If he’s ready to play that means there’s limited risk of injury,” Nash mentioned after apply on Sunday. “There’s always a risk, so the two kind of go hand-in-hand, but I don’t think anyone is thinking of ‘that’s a huge risk.’ It’s ‘Is he available? Is he ready to play? Can he contribute?’”
Simmons has not performed an NBA recreation in additional than 10 months. He had an epidural in March to alleviate the ache brought on by a herniated disc and solely not too long ago was in a position to begin shifting higher.
Nash mentioned the group (which doubtless means himself, the entrance workplace and the efficiency workers) has not mentioned the potential for re-injury a lot. Re-injury would make issues worse for the Nets, who face a 3-0 collection deficit, which no group in NBA historical past has ever overcome.
If Simmons performs within the Nets’ Game 4 playoff matchup in opposition to the Boston Celtics on Monday, he’ll have performed in two consecutive elimination video games. Last season, his coach and 76ers teammates threw him underneath the bus following a poor efficiency in a Game 7 loss to the Atlanta Hawks — which calls into query whether or not it’s even honest to place Simmons on the ground in one other elimination recreation with a brand new group.
“Part of the decision has to be Ben’s,” Nash mentioned. “I think that he has to be all in… It’s not all on Ben. It’s not like, ‘Oh come on. He didn’t play.’ No, this is a unique situation. He’s never played with his teammates and to go into a playoff situation after a long period of inactivity and injury, it’s not straightforward.”
The Nets had till 5:30 p.m. Sunday to tell the league of Simmons’ standing, which may nonetheless be up to date on Monday within the hours earlier than tip-off.
Bruce Brown mentioned he has no concept whether or not Simmons will play. ”That’s above my pay grade,” he mentioned.
And Seth Curry flashed a cheek-to-cheek grin when requested about Simmons’ standing. “I don’t know,” Curry mentioned. “It’s hard to say.”
Nash remained noncommittal.
“Ben is being evaluated by the performance team and then he’s just going to do today whatever’s appropriate on where he’s at today, so there’s no update,” he mentioned. “I have no idea. I think it just really depends hour to hour on how he improves and where he’s at.”
If Simmons performs, whether or not or not he can contribute in a significant vogue stays to be seen. Since his arrival in Brooklyn by way of the Feb. 10 James Harden commerce, Simmons has not practiced with any of the Nets’ common rotation gamers.
So far, he has performed in four-on-four with the Nets’ stay-ready group, which incorporates seven end-of-the-rotation gamers — the rookies and veterans who assist injured gamers ramp-up their conditioning and re-acclimate to recreation velocity.
Simmons can’t apply with Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving as a result of the Nets’ two stars want relaxation in-between video games after logging greater than 42 minutes every in Game 3.
“Other guys are carrying injuries,” Nash mentioned. “Bruce is now playing 40 minutes a night. So (with Ben), we walk-through, we rehearse, they do their shooting routines, lift weights, we watch a lot of film. That’s what it’s like at this end of the season in the NBA.”
So how is Simmons presupposed to know his teammates and even the sport plan when all he’s executed is play four-on-four — not even five-on-five — with gamers who get no burn?
“You’d have to ask him and how he feels, what kind of rhythm he’s in basketball-wise,” mentioned Curry, who was packaged with Simmons within the Harden deal, “nevertheless it might be (tough) or he might go on the market and have that vitality and be wonderful.
“Hopefully he’s close to the Ben I’ve seen in the past,” Curry added. “A big, long body defensively, guards all five positions, hopefully provide some pace, rebounds and transition game, and some playmaking and physicality. Just everything he brings if he plays in whatever minutes he’s out there. Hopefully it’s a little boost of energy as well.”
Nash mentioned if Simmons is offered, he’ll doubtless lengthen his rotation however didn’t say when Simmons’ minutes restrict will max-out. He additionally steered he doesn’t know what to anticipate so far as Simmons’ degree of understanding of each the offensive and defensive recreation plan.
“(He understands the game plan) as well as you can without getting a training camp in and playing with your teammates,” Nash mentioned. “You can put it all down on paper, you can talk, until you’re out there feeling it, there’s only so much that you can really expect.”
()
Source: www.bostonherald.com