Nets general manager Sean Marks gave another Ben Simmons update on Thursday, and it doesn't seem to indicate that he will be on the court any time soon.
Speaking on the YES Network, Marks said that Simmons is indeed recovering from a back ailment, which hampered his ramp-up process, and he likely won't be doing any work with the team for at least another week.
"Unfortunately, his back stiffness has delayed his ability to get back on the court with his teammates," Marks said. "So he's been rehabbing this last sort of week to 10 days, and now he'll progress this week with some individual workout.
"Hopefully by the end of next week he's getting more into the team environment and then we can really ramp up and start getting him into game shape."
Simmons, who hasn't played a game yet this season, was the headline acquisition in the James Harden deal, and Nets fans have been eager to see how his defense and ball distribution will help a Brooklyn team scrambling to get back to full strength before the playoffs. But based on Marks' timeline, if Simmons doesn't begin team work until the end of next week, his ramp-up into game shape would likely take at least another week after that, meaning, at the very earliest, he could be back on March 18 against the Trail Blazers, March 21 against the Jazz, or March 23 against the Grizzlies. Based on how cautious the team has been with Simmons and Kevin Durant, it could be even longer than that, with the end of the regular season just over a month away.
"Although there's no real timetable, we've got to take it day by day and see how he responds," Marks said. "The sooner the better. We need to get this group together and get minutes together on the court."
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