After missing the entire 2021-22 season, Ben Simmons is slated to make his return to the NBA hardwood on Monday.
In his debut also as a Brooklyn Net, he is set to face his former team Philadelphia 76ers inside the Barclays Center for their 2022-23 preseason opener.
Notably, both Simmons and the 76ers endured an embattled stand-off last season. Resolution came in as the former was traded to the Nets in midseason.
Besides the drama that took place, Simmons was also sidelined due to a nagging back injury, wherein he took a surgery to address it following the Nets’ eventual downfall in the recent postseason.
“It’s a lot of fun for me,” Nets coach Steve Nash on Simmons’ impending return, per New York Post’s Brian Lewis. “I’m such a believer in his game. He’s such a dynamic, unique player, does so many things while on the basketball court.
“And he’s a great complement to our team. He makes his teammates better at both ends. So just giving him the support and platform to return from the injury and then long layoff, and then allowing him to continually grow with our group. So, it’s very exciting.”
