Why is Ben Simmons not playing tonight against Boston Celtics? Latest injury update on Nets' star (Nov.13)
Brooklyn Nets star Ben Simmons is out for Wednesday's game against the Boston Celtics after he was added to the injury report on Monday. New York Post reporter Brian Lewis announced in the afternoon that Simmons was added to the report with a left calf tightness and was listed as questionable.
The Nets officially ruled him out hours later alongside Dorian Finney-Smith.
The Nets host the Boston Celtics at Barclays Center tonight, trying to reach the .500 mark, but without one of their best players on the court. Their 5-6 record is enough to rank them as the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. They most recently beat the New Orleans Pelicans 107-105, with Simmons having a stellar performance.
Brooklyn isn't the strongest team in the conference, but they have the tools to compete against anybody. Unfortunately, what appeared to be a revenge season for Simmons has been full of ups and downs for the Australian point guard.
Coincidentally, the other player on the injury report, Dorian Finney-Smith, made a bold prediction about a healthy Ben Simmons this campaign.
“People don’t know how healthy Ben [Simmons] is going to be. But we’ve been seeing him for the last four weeks and he looks great. So, if bro gets back on the court, I feel like it’s gonna help our team a lot, and we’re going to shake the NBA," he said in an interview with the New York Post.
So far, Simmons has shown glimpses of his brilliance, especially as a facilitator, but his scoring hasn't been there and fans have started to criticize her.
Ben Simmons stats in the 2024-25 NBA season
After a 2023-24 NBA season with back issues, Ben Simmons returned to action this campaign, ready to dominate and help the Nets compete for important things in the competitive Eastern Conference.
He's played seven of 11 games for his team, posting decent numbers that could be better if he was more aggressive. Simmons averages 6.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game. The last time he faced the Celtics, he scored eight points, grabbed six rebounds and dished eight rebounds in 27 minutes of action.
In his last outing, he made history with his six points, five rebounds and 12 assists, posting a statline not seen since Jason Kidd. The Nets have an intriguing team, but if Simmons can't stay healthy, they will struggle to find consistency.