Tim Bontemps ESPN Nov 14, 2023, 21:13 Reading: 4 min.
Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said he’s trying to take the positive route with the news that Ben Simmons will be out for more than a week with a pinched nerve in his lower back.
NEW YORK – The coach of the Brooklyn NetsJacque Vaughn said he’s trying to take the “positive route” with the news that Ben Simmons He’ll be out for more than a week with a pinched nerve in his lower back, calling it a “blow that’s on his way right now.”
“I tried to joke with him,” Vaughn said when asked how he’s taking Ben Simmons the news before Brooklyn hosts the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night at Barclays Center in the third game of the group stage of the Cup Tournament of the Nets. “He was getting treatment on the table. I just tried to joke with him, because we had texted a few times.
“You know, these athletes want to play and they want to contribute. And no athlete wants to get hurt. And this is not something I asked for, it’s not something I want. At that time we were trying to really get our group whole and healthy and form an identity together, and he is part of that identity. And Ben has brought an element to our team that is irreplaceable because of the style he plays and the things he helps benefit our team by doing.
In the case of Simmons, there is not much optimism about his future.Getty Images
“So, again, I’m going to take a positive approach to this and hope that in a week you’ll feel better when we have an update for you. But no athlete wants to get hurt.”
The Nets had announced earlier Tuesday that Ben Simmons He would be reevaluated in a week after an MRI revealed a nerve impingement in his left lower back that was causing ongoing problems in his left hip.
Tuesday’s game was the fourth consecutive game that Ben Simmons has been missing since the issue arose during Brooklyn’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 6. He had initially been ruled out for Brooklyn’s win over the LA Clippers on Wednesday and his Boston loss to the Celtics on Friday with left hip soreness. That was changed to a left hip contusion before Sunday’s win over Washington.
But that was before Ben Simmons underwent an MRI which showed that the ongoing nerve problem was what was causing his hip discomfort. Vaughn said the injury occurred on a specific play in the Milwaukee game and that “as far as he knows” Simmons was not experiencing any problems with his hip or back before that play took place.
Ben Simmons he eventually finished that game, although he was then forced to miss the Clipper game and hasn’t played since.
“All the guys go through an evaluation after the game and the next day,” Vaughn said. “So whether it was after the game or the next day, I felt some irritation.
“Ben had received treatment, but he wasn’t responding the way we wanted day after day.”
Simmons is no stranger to back numbers, as they have been a constant problem for him for two years now. He missed the entire 2021-22 season due to a combination of his request to be traded away from the Philadelphia 76ers, a wish that was ultimately granted, and then back problems that prevented him from taking the court in Brooklyn. . He underwent surgery in May 2022.
Simmons then played in 42 games last year before being suspended for the season due to another nerve impingement in his back.
In six games this season, Simmons has averaged 6.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists for the Nets, all while starting and playing his preferred position of point guard.
However, he has remained much less aggressive offensively than in the first four seasons of his career in Philadelphia, where he won the league’s Rookie of the Year award, made three All-Star teams and was a third-team All-NBA . selection in 2020.
In each of those four seasons, Simmons shot at least 10 times per game and never averaged fewer than four free throws per game. In his six games this season, Simmons is averaging six shot attempts per game and has only attempted four free throws in total, making one of them.
Vaughn, however, highlighted Simmons’ impact on Brooklyn’s ability to play in transition and said that’s something the team will have to compensate for while waiting for him to return to the court.
“I’m going to do with what I have,” Vaughn said. “So that’s the first thing. So, the guys who dress, we’re going to find a way how to use them. But they’re two different teams.” [con y sin él]. We were in the top five, in the top six. Transition with Ben, last five without Ben. It’s better to execute in the half court without Ben, not with Ben.
“So I have to get our guys to understand, we have to combine this where we are not shooting late in the shot clock and playing half-court basketball. We still need to pick up the pace, and that involves multiple ball handlers.” Push the tempo and give ourselves opportunities early in the shot clock. That still has to be who we are. But we have to execute in the half court to maximize each possession.”
2023-11-15 00:19:17
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