Ben Simmons clears one other large hurdle in Nets rehab course of

After being examined earlier this month, Ben Simmons has been cleared to take the subsequent step in his return to play.

And presumably these subsequent steps are on a court docket.

“Ben has been cleared to progress to his subsequent stage of his rehab and is progressing rather well,” Simmons’ agent Bernie Lee advised The Put up on Wednesday. “And we stay very enthusiastic about his capability to return to type subsequent yr.”

Return to type covers an enormous expanse between Simmons’ intermittent and ineffectual play for Brooklyn this past season, and his spectacular degree when he made three consecutive All-Star video games for Philadelphia from 2019-21.

However the Nets have privately admitted getting Simmons again on the ground and on tempo for no less than a productive 2023-24 marketing campaign is arguably their most essential offseason job.

The 26-year-old’s return has been stop-and-start with seemingly infinite hurdles, however this information — alongside along with his latest return to on-court exercises in Brooklyn and now Miami — means he’s cleared a number of essential ones.

Following Simmons’ microdiscectomy surgical procedure for a herniated L-4 disk Could 5, 2022, a number of specialists advised The Put up that it may take 18 months for the nerves to completely recuperate — that means roughly a month into subsequent season — and that there was an opportunity he may require a follow-up surgical procedure.

After the Nets shut Simmons down for the season with a nerve impingement, that concern solely grew.

“He’s checking the packing containers on assembly totally different markers alongside the best way; so at this level he doesn’t want surgical procedure,” Nets GM Sean Marks said last month. “That’s the hope going ahead, that he is not going to should endure one other surgical procedure and we are able to maintain progressing. The timeline for that is that he’ll be again one hundred pc in all probability by Sept. 1. That might be the aim and he’s a full-go in coaching camp and able to go.”

Simmons had already returned to understanding at HSS Coaching Middle, posting a number of early-morning photos on Instagram a few weeks in the past.

And Wednesday morning he shared an Instagram story from on the court docket on the College of Miami together with the caption “Daily” and three face with steam emojis, representing him placing in work.

After holding out in Philadelphia (citing psychological well being points and his dangerous again), Simmons obtained traded for former MVP James Harden in February 2022.

He missed the remainder of that season, and appeared in just 42 games this past season.

After posting profession averages of 14.7 factors, 7.8 rebounds and seven.5 assists, he mustered averages of simply 6.9 factors, 6.3 boards and 6.1 assists this season for Brooklyn, all profession lows.

“The group round Ben has observed an entire change in Ben’s focus and mentality [through] this rehab and the way he has attacked it and engaged with every little thing,” a supply accustomed to the scenario advised The Put up.

Simmons, who had expressed interest in playing for Australia within the FIBA World Cup in late August and early September, was left off the Boomers’ preliminary 18-man roster final week.

“I’m at present rehabilitating my again harm and placing my full effort and focus in direction of that,” Simmons advised the Every day Telegraph in Sydney.

That rehab is taking a major step ahead.