Steve Nash says Ben Simmons will have final say on return

After months of telling the press that Simmons is "progressing" in the right direction, Nets head coach Steve Nash has now put all the power in the young point guard's hands. 

"There's no other way than him to say, 'I'm ready,'" Nash said Wednesday ahead of Game 2 against the Boston Celtics, via ESPN. "Especially after an absence this long. So whenever he is ready, it's going to have to be on him to say, 'I feel comfortable. I feel ready to go. I want to play and I want to contribute.'"

Nash added: "We can't push him places when you have been out this long. It's got to be something where he is definitely comfortable and ready to play."

While Nash has a point about not pushing an injured player back onto the court too soon, questions as to whether Simmons will be ready to play at any point this postseason loom large. The 25-year-old Australian was originally projected to make his debut for Brooklyn in March before rehab for a herniated disc in his back hit a major setback. 

However, there is speculation that a return could be looming.