Simmons debut still vague after back-pain shot
Ben Simmons had an epidural injection this week to help relieve his back pain, but it’s unclear when, or even if, Simmons will make his season debut.
The three-time All-Star, since his trade to the Nets, has been mired in a long ramp-up process that has been hampered by back soreness. Nets coach Steve Nash said the AllStar stayed in Brooklyn while the Nets played the Magic on Tuesday.
“Ben had an epidural while we were in Orlando, the idea being to try to accelerate his recovery and take some of the irritation down,” Nash said before the Nets lost 113111 to the Mavericks on Wednesday night. “So hopefully that will help him relieve some of the symptoms and be able to recover quicker.”
Simmons hasn’t played since June 20, when he was with the 76ers, and is now dealing with at least his fourth back injury in the past two years. ESPN reported Wednesday the current problem is an irritation of the L4 disk of the lower spine, and that there’s hope he will be able to return for a “couple” of regular-season games.
Multiple orthopedists told The Post on Monday that Simmons is unlikely to play in the regular season. Dr. Rahul Shah, the Magic’s former team physician, surmised Simmons would require an epidural cortisone shot, and possibly even offseason surgery, which the Nets hope to avoid.
“I don’t think anyone’s talked about a procedure, so that’d be a waydown-the-line scenario. We expect him back at some point,” Nash said.
While the epidural could alleviate the pain, it may not solve the root cause of Simmons’ back problem. If it works for a month or two, that would let Simmons get on the court, continue his ramp-up and, the Nets hope, get cleared to practice and eventually play.
“Yeah, see how it responds to the epidural,” Nash said. “Then maybe he can play.”
But staying on-brand for their tight-lipped ways, the Nets offered no timeline for when Simmons will get back on the floor.
Now the goal is for Simmons to make his first appearance with the Nets just before the April 10 regular-season finale.
“I don’t think that’s happening. I think the odds are against it. … Until you fundamentally change the underlying problem,” Shah told The Post. “I don’t think he’s coming back [this season].”
➤ A fan shared a video on TikTok that was taken courtside, catching a voice from the crowd telling Kevin Durant, ”You’ve got to take this game over,” and the Nets star responding “You gotta shut the f- -k up and sit down.”
The NBA frequently fines players for profane interactions with fans, so Durant not only presumed he will be lighter in the wallet, but made light of it. He retweeted it, along with a photo of a woman handing over money.
➤ Durant went down briefly in the second quarter, clutching at his foot. He got up after giving the crowd a scare, and said he just stubbed his toe.
➤ LaMarcus Aldridge (right hip impingement) and Seth Curry (left ankle soreness) were both out Wednesday, but rookie Cam Thomas (back contusion) played 5:38 and missed his only shot, after sitting out the game Tuesday.
Nash said he expects Curry to play Friday against the Trail Blazers, but that Aldridge won’t be evaluated until next week.
➤ The Nets recalled Day’Ron
Sharpe from G-League affiliate Long Island, but he did not play. The rookie tallied 30 points, 22 rebounds and four blocks in 37 minutes in Long Island’s game earlier Wednesday at Westchester.