Brooklyn Nets beat writer Alex Schiffer reports that Ben Simmons will not play Friday against the Washington Wizards or Saturday versus the Charlotte Hornets due to soreness in his left knee.
Ben Simmons will not travel with the Nets to DC or Charlotte. Seth Curry will only play in one of those two games. TJ Warren is progressing but not scrimmaging yet.
— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) November 3, 2022
Simmons has been sidelined since October 31, and there is no guarantee he will return to the lineup for Monday’s road matchup against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.
After missing the 2021-22 season due to mental health issues and a subsequent back injury, Simmons’s return to the court has been underwhelming thus far. Through six games, the 26-year-old is averaging a career-low 6.2 points, along with 6.5 rebounds and 7.3 assists in 31.8 minutes per contest.
Sharpshooter Joe Harris should continue to start in Simmons’ absence. Meanwhile, with Kyrie Irving suspended and Seth Curry ruled out for the front half of Brooklyn’s back-to-back, more minutes will be available for guard Edmond Sumner and forward Yuta Watanabe. However, neither is a particularly exciting season-long/DFS play.
FanDuel Sportsbook has the Nets as +3 point underdogs on the spread and +124 on the moneyline.
