Here is the latest news and possible return dates for Nets players…
Nov. 13, 6:16 p.m.
The Nets announced that Ben Simmons (calf tightness) and Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle sprain) are out for the team’s matchup with the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.
Head coach Jordi Fernandez said that Simmons had an MRI on his calf but the results were not in yet, but should be considered day-to-day.
Simmons scored six points, and added five rebounds and 12 assists in 22 minutes in Brooklyn’s 107-105 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. The guard has played in eight of the Nets’ 11 games this season heading into Wednesday.
As for Finney-Smith, this will be the forward’s second missed game in a row. He last played in Saturday’s 105-100 loss to the Cavaliers.
Fernandez said he wanted the 31-year-old to be “200 percent” when he returns to the court.
Nov. 9, 1:00 p.m.
Ben Simmons will not play on Saturday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers (10-0) due to lower back injury management, the team announced.
Simmons scored eight points on 4-for-6 shooting with eight assists, seven rebounds, and one steal over 27 minutes in Friday’s OT loss to the Boston Celtics.
Head coach Jordi Fernandez indicated after the loss that Simmons would be out for the second game of the back-to-back.
Day’Ron Sharpe (left hamstring strain), Bojan Bogdanović (left foot injury recovery), and Trendon Watford (left hamstring strain) are all listed as out, too.
Simmons has played in seven of Brooklyn’s nine games so far during the 2024-25 season, but Friday was the first time he came off the bench. He was told prior to the game that he would not be starting.
“I think for the flow of the team, whatever the team needs me to do, whether it’s come off the bench or starting, I gotta do,” Simmons told reporters. “That’s what coach wants right now. It is what it is.”
It’s unclear if Fernandez and the Nets plan to have Simmons come off the bench for the remainder of the season. Simmons expressed optimism that “things change all the time” in the NBA and is prepared to take on the new role for the time being.
The former No. 1 overall pick is averaging 6.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game over 24.9 minutes of action this year. He played just 15 games for the Nets during the 2023-24 season after logging 42 games during the 2022-23 season. Simmons did not play during the 2021-22 season due to injury and was traded by the Philadelphia 76ers to Brooklyn as part of the James Harden deal.