Nerve impingement woes reappear for inactive Ben Simmons in Memphis, still out day-to-day

The tricky nerve issue that sidelined the Ben to 38 straight games is yet again disturbing both Brooklyn and the three-time All-Star.

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On Monday night, Ben Simmons didn't play in the Brooklyn Nets’ 106-102 loss against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Interestingly, it's not because of the leg soreness he's been ailing, which barred him from the team's last three games. The Nets listed Simmons as unavailable due to his lower back nerve impingement — the complication that cost him to miss 38 straight games from November to January this season.

Still out due to his old woes

The Nets have revealed that Simmons’ current leg issues come from the nerve impingement woes he's been dealing with all season long. But in his pregame availability against the Grizzlies, interim mentor Kevin Ollie announced that the 27-year-old remains out on a day-to-day basis.

“We were just trying to get to the source of it, and that’s why the change of the wording was,” Ollie said when asked about the sudden change in Ben's injury report. “But he’s still day-to-day, he’s still on the court, and hopefully, we can get him back soon and get him ready for this playoff push that we have in March and April.”

Kevin Ollie on Ben Simmons' injury status being changed to a left lower back nerve impingement:

"We were just trying to get to the source of it and that's why the change of the wording was, but he's still day-to-day, still on the court, and hopefully we can get him back soon." pic.twitter.com/2hjLic4GRa

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) March 4, 2024

A troubling injury further ignites a challenging season

Like the previous seasons, the Nets are once again troubled by Ben's complicated health and availability. The three-time All-Star only played for 15 games this season and only managed to log a total of 57 appearances out of 178 matches that the team played since acquiring him back in the 2022 trade deadline.

Ben is still far from close to his old form and production this year. While he's been flashing promising signs of his all-around traits with 7.9 boards and 5.7 assists, he is still passive offensively with 6.1 points per game out of a career-low 4.9 field goal attempts.

What will unfold and how the Nets will handle Ben's puzzling ailments and inactivity in hopes of regaining his service are still yet to be seen. As such, Simmons' embattled health just contributes to the generally furious roller-coaster season of the ball club this 2023-24.

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