Nets' Ben Simmons gives unclear update on back injury

In what shouldn't come as much of a surprise, the former All-Star point guard has been limited by injury this season, playing in just six games. Simmons' last contest came on Nov. 6, as he continues to recover from a nagging back issue.

The lefty gave a brief update on the injury on Wednesday, saying both that he'd "be back soon" and that he had "no timetable" for a return.

Simmons' trouble staying on the court in recent seasons is well-chronicled.

After missing his entire would-be rookie campaign with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016-17 due to a foot ailment, he played in 275 regular season games with the team over the next four years out of a possible 309 contests (88.9%). That culminated with Simmons' implosion during the 2021 playoffs, as his particularly rough showing in the top-seeded Sixers' Eastern Conference semifinals loss to the Atlanta Hawks saw him used as a scapegoat.

The former No. 1 overall pick was picked up by the Nets in a blockbuster trade in February 2022 that saw former MVP guard James Harden sent to Philadelphia. Simmons sat out the entire 2021-22 campaign and his first season in his new surroundings last year was largely disappointing, as he was limited to a career-low 42 games.

The LSU product ended last season with career worsts in points (6.9), rebounds (6.3), assists (6.1), steals (1.3) and minutes per contest (26.3) as well.

Despite some ambitious goals coming into this fall, it's looked to be more of the same for Simmons.