Ben Simmons Far Away From Where He Wants To Be

An injury-riddled Ben Simmons acknowledged it's going to take time for him to get back to his former self.

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After missing the last five contests, Ben Simmons' return to the hardwood didn't go well. In fact, it shined a light that he isn't fully healthy either and has a long way to go.  

The point forward concluded Tuesday's loss with two points, six assists, four boards, and four turnovers in 27 minutes of play. He played through a twisted ankle suffered in the second quarter but it's the health of his knee that remains the biggest question mark. 

"It's been a process just getting back out there and trying to find some rhythm. But I felt good. Just give to the team any way I can," Simmons told reporters postgame. "It's sore, but I'll be fine." 

Despite battling through a twisted ankle, Simmons was moving gingerly up and down the court for the remainder of the contest. He suffered the injury defending the Suns' big man Deandre Ayton, and there is some swelling. 

"It's a little swollen but I'm happy with an ankle sprain over anything with the knee or back," he said. "I'll take this over anything else." 

When his knee soreness first occurred earlier in the season, he stated that the injury was correlated to his off-season back surgery - an operation to fix a herniated disk that kept him sidelined for the entire 2021-22 season. 

"Back surgery is not a light thing so it takes time. Back surgery, you're affected everywhere. Your knees. So it's just something I gotta stay on top of. I've been saying it from the start. There's gonna be ups and downs. I'm not going to be the same player I was a few years ago. That's gonna take time to get back." 

Although head coach Jacque Vaughn has stated he wants every player to be available to play every game, he's stressed the focus on having everybody healthy for the postseason. Simmons is committed to staying on top of his injury recovery with hopes of getting past the woes. More importantly, he highlighted his knee in that category. 

"Definitely. I've got to stay on [knee]. I still have a long way to go in terms of my physical self and getting where I need to be. That will take time," Simmons said. "Yeah, therapy staying on top of it, weights, Pilates. A whole bunch [of other injury work]." 

Simmons is averaging 7.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists in 27.3 minutes per game this season. He has played in 38 of Brooklyn's 54 games played.