More than two months after arriving in Brooklyn, Ben Simmons has completed his first Nets practice with contact.
Head coach Steve Nash told reporters on Tuesday that Simmons participated in 4-on-4 practice on Monday, and "came out of it well." Simmons had previously been restricted to non-contact drills as he recovered from a back ailment that flared up during his reconditioning to return to play.
Nash still didn't have an update on a potential debut for Simmons, who hasn't played since last year's playoffs, when his offensive struggles led to a strained relationship with the 76ers. Nash did rule Simmons out for game two on Wednesday, but wouldn't give any outlook for his game three availability.
According to recent reports, Simmons could be eyeing a return somewhere in between games four and six of the Nets' first-round series against the Celtics, which they trail 1-0 after Jayson Tatum's buzzer beater on Sunday afternoon.
Simmons would certainly have plenty of rust to shake off after not seeing game action for a year, but his defensive ability alone could be a boost for Brooklyn, especially given the team's defensive struggles down the stretch of the regular season and the team's poor final possession on Sunday, which led to Tatum's game winner.
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