Simmons finished with 15 points (5-11 FG, 5-6 FT), six rebounds, 10 assists and two steals over 29 minutes during Saturday's 105-94 loss to Utah.
Simmons continues to play his best basketball of the season, producing his first double-double of the campaign. He has now played at least 29 minutes in three straight games, sliding in as the starting point guard following the Dennis Schroder trade. Although his availability for back-to-back sets remains unclear, what is clear is the fact Simmons is as healthy as he has been for the past few years. Look for Simmons to continue his strong play when the Nets face the Heat on Monday.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Stuffs stat sheet Thursday
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Simmons supplied 12 points (5-9 FG, 2-3 FT), five rebounds and seven assists over 32 minutes during Thursday's 101-94 victory over Toronto.
Simmons stuffed the stat sheet for the second game in a row, and he's been very efficient while leaving his mark on both ends of the court. The veteran has made 15 starts for Brooklyn this season, averaging 6.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.3 assists and a combined 1.2 steals-plus-blocks per game in those games. With Dennis Schroder now in Golden State, Simmons will operate as the Nets' starting point guard moving forward.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Modest numbers in Monday's start
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Simmons ended with 10 points (4-7 FG, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, eight assists and two steals in 31 minutes during Monday's 130-101 loss to the Cavaliers.
Getting the start at point guard in the wake of the Dennis Schroder trade, Simmons scored in double digits for the first time in December, but he otherwise didn't see his production increase despite a season-high workload. While the Nets will likely move other assets, Simmons' $40.3 million expiring contract will be tough to ship out unless the team is taking back another unwieldy contract, which the front office won't want to do as it positions the roster for the future.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Starting Monday
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Simmons will enter the starting lineup in Monday's game against the Cavaliers, Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.com reports.
With Dennis Schroder having been traded to Golden State, Simmons will slot into the starting point guard position. According to Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.com, Simmons is expected to see minutes above the mid 20s, which would be a noticeable uptick from the workload he's been handed over the last four games. The 28-year-old has averaged 2.6 points, 6.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 0.8 blocks while shooting 66.7 percent from the field across 19.6 minutes per contest in his last five outings (one start).
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Scoreless in 18 minutes
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Simmons racked up three rebounds and one assist in 18 minutes during Sunday's 118-113 loss to Milwaukee.
Simmons had a highlight-reel assist in the loss but nothing else to show for it apart from a handful of rebounds. He's been urged to be more aggressive, but he failed to take a single shot Sunday. He's been a frustrating player for fantasy managers so far, as he's mostly just a rebounds (5.7) and assists (6.4) specialist who can add some defensive stats here and there.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Dishes out nine assists off bench
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Simmons (back) registered seven points (3-3 FG, 1-2 FT), seven rebounds, nine assists, three blocks and two steals over 21 minutes during Wednesday's 99-90 victory over the Pacers.
Simmons was iffy to play with a back injury Wednesday, but he was available off the bench to take on his usual role of facilitating the offense and providing defensive energy, supplying nine assists along with three blocks and two steals. Head coach Jordi Fernandez has shown a willingness to mix and match his starting lineups during the first quarter of the season, which has led to Simmons playing four games as a reserve thus far. Over those four games off the bench, Simmons has averaged 5.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.8 blocks in 20.5 minutes per contest. It's unclear if the 28-year-old utility man will continue to function from the second unit moving ahead, but Simmons should be able to chip in across the board when healthy for fantasy managers regardless of his role.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Officially active Wednesday
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Simmons (back) has been cleared for Wednesday's game against Indiana, Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Simmons is in, while Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) is out and Cameron Johnson (ankle) is a game-time decision. Simmons is a candidate to slide into the starting lineup Wednesday.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Expects to play Wednesday
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Simmons (back) stated that he expects to play in Wednesday's game against the Pacers, Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports. Simmons is officially listed as questionable.
Simmons was held out of Monday's game against the Bulls due to back injury maintenance, but his absence shouldn't last much longer. The team figures to have another update on the LSU product's status closer to tipoff, though all signs point to him playing Wednesday.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Ruled out Monday
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Simmons (lower back) will not play Monday against the Bulls.
After suffering a left knee contusion Sunday against the Magic which forced him out of the game after 13 minutes played, that issue is not mentioned on the injury report. Instead, Simmons is being held out for maintenance related to his back injury. His next chance to play will be Wednesday against the Pacers.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Won't return Sunday vs. Orlando
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Simmons has been ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's game against the Magic with a left knee contusion, Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.com reports. He tallied zero points (0-1 FG), five assists, two rebounds and one steal across 12 minutes before exiting.
Simmons played all 12 of his minutes during the first half but stayed on the bench to begin the third quarter being ruled out during the fourth quarter. The 28-year-old's next chance to suit up will come Monday against the Bulls.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Retreats to bench Sunday
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Simmons will come off the bench in Sunday's game against the Magic, C.J. Holmes of the New York Daily News reports.
Nic Claxton will replace Simmons in the starting five on Sunday. In his last five outings (all starts), Simmons has averaged 6.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists while shooting 68.0 percent from the field across 26.4 minutes per game.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Sniffs triple-double in win
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Simmons ended Wednesday's 127-117 victory over the Suns with 14 points (7-8 FG), nine rebounds, eight assists and one steal across 27 minutes.
Simmons turned back the clock with this impressive performance, missing just one of his eight shots from the field while finishing just one board and two assists away from a triple-double. The Nets need Simmons to step his game up on offense, and it seems the issue is a lack of confidence rather than an issue with his efficiency. Simmons is averaging just 5.9 points per game this season, but he's also shooting a solid 58.8 percent from the floor.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Good to go Wednesday
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Simmons (back) isn't on the injury report for Wednesday's game versus the Suns, Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Simmons will return to action after sitting out Brooklyn's previous outing due to lower back injury management. Simmons is averaging 4.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 25.2 minutes across his last five outings.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Out for Monday
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Simmons is out for Monday's game against the Warriors for lower back injury management, Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports.
Simmons will rest for the second leg of the back-to-back set after playing 27 minutes in Sunday's win over the Kings. Expect Simmons to return to action Wednesday in Phoenix.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Goes scoreless vs. New York
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Simmons ended with zero points (0-3 FG), four rebounds, eight assists and one block across 22 minutes during Sunday's 114-104 loss to the Knicks.
There's no question that the Nets need more from Simmons on the offensive end of the court, and the Australian went scoreless in a game that could've easily had a different outcome had he been more aggressive on offense. Simmons has failed to reach double-digit points in each of his 10 games this season, and his lack of scoring prowess certainly undermines his fantasy value. He's averaging 7.0 assists, 5.8 rebounds and a combined 1.3 steals and blocks per game, but he's scoring a career-low 5.3 points per contest.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Starting Friday
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Simmons is in the Nets' starting lineup for Friday's game against the Knicks, Ian Begley of SportsNet New York reports.
Simmons will return Friday from a one-game absence due to calf tightness, and he will start at center as Nic Claxton is sidelined due to a lower back strain. Across his six starts this season, Simmons has averaged 5.8 points, 6.2 assists and 6.0 rebounds over 24.5 minutes per game.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Good to go Friday
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Simmons (calf) isn't on the injury report for Friday's game versus the Knicks, Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports.
Simmons will return to action Friday after missing Brooklyn's previous contest with left calf tightness. If Nic Claxton (back) is downgraded from questionable to out, Simmons could be in store for a start against the Knicks.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Imaging comes back clean
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An MRI on Simmon's left calf came back clean Thursday and he could play in Friday's game versus the Knicks, Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports.
Simmons missed Brooklyn's previous contest with left calf tightness but has returned to working out. While fantasy managers should look out for an official injury report clarifying Simmons' status for Friday's game, it wouldn't be surprising for the Nets to play it cautiously with the 28-year-old.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Sitting out Wednesday
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Simmons (calf) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against Boston, Ian Begley of SportsNet New York reports.
Simmons will miss his third contest of Brooklyn's last five games after posting six points, 12 assists and five rebounds over 22 minutes in Monday's win over New Orleans. His prior two absences had been attributed to back injury management in the second leg of back-to-back sets, but Simmons' absence for a standalone game Wednesday due to an unrelated calf issue creates more concern about his availability moving forward.
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Nets' Ben Simmons: Iffy for Wednesday
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Simmons is questionable for Wednesday's game against Boston due to left calf tightness.
Simmons was a very late addition to the injury report which is always a concern. Given how cautious the Nets are with Simmons, it wouldn't be a surprise to see them hold the point forward out Wednesday evening. If that's the case, players such as Cam Thomas and Dennis Schroder could receive usage rate bumps, while Jalen Wilson and Keon Johnson could step into larger roles.
