Nets guard Ben Simmons has made a significant step following back surgery in early May, reports Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Simmons has moved from the recovery phase to the rehab phase and remains on schedule to be ready well before the start of training camp in September, a source close to the player tells Lewis.
“Microdiscectomy is probably one of the best procedures we do. Most patients recover really fast,” said Dr. Neel Anand, director of spine trauma at Cedars-Sinai Spine Center. “Ten days to six weeks, rehabbing. Six weeks to three months, pretty much getting back to the field. And then three months I’d say most athletes will be back on the field, back doing everything.”
The Nets are hoping Simmons can become the versatile defender they were missing during a first-round sweep by the Celtics. He was the centerpiece of the James Harden trade in February, but wasn’t able to return to the court in time for the postseason.
There’s more from Brooklyn:
- In the same piece, Lewis shoots down a rumor that Nets guard Kyrie Irving has changed his representation. Irving, who faces an offseason decision on his player option for 2022/23, will continue to be represented by his stepmother, Shetellia Riley Irving. Lewis states that there was an erroneous report that Irving had signed with Donda Sports, which was founded by Kanye West.
- TNT commentator Charles Barkley believes Kevin Durant‘s legacy has been tarnished somewhat by Brooklyn’s early exit and Golden State’s run to the finals, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Durant has long been criticized for joining a championship-level Warriors team where he won his only two rings. “You know it has an effect on his legacy,” Barkley said during a public appearance Wednesday. “If you go back and look, and I talked about it on the [TNT] show, LeBron [James] has said it before — he said, ‘I had to win a championship without Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.’ And Kobe’s said it before, Rest in Peace, ‘I’ve got to win a championship without Shaq.’ So Kevin and Kyrie, before we elevate them among the old guys, they’re not going to get the credit they deserve until they win a championship by themselves and be The Guy.”
- The Nets currently don’t have a pick in this year’s draft, but they hosted six players for a workout today, tweets Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog. On hand were Vanderbilt’s Scotty Pippen Jr., Kentucky’s Davion Mintz, Michigan State’s Marcus Bingham Jr., Providence’s Justin Minaya, Texas Tech’s Davion Warren and Fordham’s Chuba Ohams.
KD is headed towards being top10 to ever play the game. Barkley told yall a long time ago not to listen to the ish he says. I don’t remember MJ remember winning without Pip. KD’s legacy is just fine
Yes, as a guy who makes surprising career choices.
KD is a case where after he retires or gets close to it everyone will look back and realize what a great player he was. Personally I have him at 15 but I don’t think he’ll ever crack my top 10. Coincidentally I do have him ranked two spots above Barkley and one spot behind Curry(14). He’s just got his work out cut out to get past Garnett(13), Robertson(12), Olajuwon(11) and Duncan(10)
I mean KDs thing is different. He went to the favorite to the team that was already the Finals favorite. LeBron joined with Wade and Bosh yes, but Wade won with Shaq years before, and Bosh won jack in Toronto. Same with Kyrie and Love, both dudes that on their own led near last place or last place teams. AD never won anything either.
So yea LeBron hopped around, made super teams but DWade was the only key piece that ever won anything before teaming up.
So KDs legacy will always be front runner. Doesn’t mean he isn’t a Top-15 all time player when it’s all said and done.
“DWade was the only key piece that ever won anything before teaming up.”
Shaq 20-9-2blocks, 59%TS, missed games but was there at the end of ’06. His later years, but still a team-up I think.
Wade was amazing that year… Only Wade and the two centers, Shaq & Mourning, had above-average PERs (15). He looked unstoppable crossing halfcourt.
Wade’s year could be looked at as a Dirk-type ‘ship, one player dragging a team to #1. Which ocurred 5 years later.
To be fair Bosh never won a playoff series before joining LBJ and D. Wade couldn’t win a playoff series after his 06 championship. So both stars in the “weak” Eastern conference couldn’t win a first round series before teamming up with LBJ.
His legacy is going to be never winning a title without having joined Steph’s team. That puts him below Steph.
Maybe that will be the narrative with him forever but still will be considered top 15 of all time and that’s pretty damn good. At worst you can have him top 20#.
Durant is a CHUMP. He joined a team he couldn’t beat, then left and hasn’t won anything
Yep. Couldn’t win with Harden, hasn’t won with Kyrie. Only jumped inside a Ferrari (just like Kerr (cough)) on its’ way to the finals.
I have watched and admired KD from a college player. Once in the NBA he should of won multiples witht he talent that was around him. He then went to Golden State and was a terrific player but who wasn’t on that club. Then he started acting like a child and always butt hurt and soft on what the media says. I will always look at him as a terrific player but not an assassin like Kobe and MJ.
Let’s be real, Durant is obnoxious as all hell but the teams he played on before GS weren’t that great. Westbrook had the league tricked back then, but he always put up shallow numbers. Harden wasn’t elite when he played with Durant either. Also can’t blame Durant fully for the train wreck that was Brooklyn this year.
Simons, Hart, a role player, and #7 for Simmons. Damian and Ben can rehab together and put themselves in title contention. BKN gets a young dynamic PG and more depth.
KD learned how to win at GS and was very confident he could win elsewhere. He almost pulled it off couple yrs ago but his window has closed. If GS and Curry wins title, KD legacy no doubt will be tarnished.
@Michol
So the fact that the contingency of Curry, Thompson, Draymond and Iggy went to HIM after losing to the Cavs after registering a historic 73-9 record means nothing?? He was a hair short of being a 50/40/90 30 point pg with 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 block during his 3 playoff runs with GSW. He was the best player in their 3 season run. respect that man.
KD was simply awesome in 3 Postseasons with GS. It was the one of the best performances ever by anyone in history. Howver, he left and he needed to justify by winning elsewhere. Will he????
@Michol
The narrative could and should’ve been can “Curry lead a team to a championship a) Without their opponent playing with only 1 of their big 3 b) Without the help of Durant who was the best player on his own team”.
Not a fan boy of LBJ but it really is amazing that he took the GSW to 6 games minus Irving and Love in the first matchup, beat the 73 win GSW coming from 3 down in the 2nd matchup AND left them so shook that the big 3 and Iggy hopped on a plane to recruit Durant to put them over the top vs the Cavs in their last 2 matchups.
No one talks about this…. how much more amazing would the GSW story be if Draymond’s idea of administering tough love towards a teammate who’s sensitive like Durant not pushed him out of GSW? Durant just wants to hoop and have fun. Once Dray rubbed him wrong he went to Brooklyn with Irving where he thought he could just hoop and have fun. He likely could’ve steadied the GSW during the stints where either Curry or Klay were injured.
Looks unlikely, it’s hard to see them making the ECF with their roster.
I always hated the narrative “learn how to win”.
Dallas reached WCF without previous experience that deep in the playoffs, Boston reached ECF a couple of times and now is 2-1 on the finals without a single player with NBA Finals experience.
Winning is about being better than your opponent that’s not something you learn, you are or not.
If you know sports, you know what “learning” to win means. Lebron learned it in Miami, and Giannis broke through last year.
LeBron reached the finales in 07, i think he knew “how to win”, he didn’t have the personnel to win it all. Best team always wins. Its about being better, why when a team or player “learn how to win” can win it all next season? It’s a totally dumb narrative.
Why Lakers got swept by the Mavs the year before Kobe’s last chip despite “knowing how to win” while the mavs didn’t knew? LoL
You are not wrong but Lebron just couldnt score in 4th quarter or in clutch until he played in Miami.
@elmajesty
The Heat had to learn how to play together with Wade. Bosh had to learn how to complement LBJ and Wafe. In essence, after that loss to Dallas they had to learn how to win.
It’s “tarnished” regardless of which team wins this finals.
People are quick to disrespect Durant for joining a super team his team couldn’t beat. Count me as one of them. People are disrespecting him now because he’s sitting at home while the GSW are in the finals. But let’s not forget this tidbit. The GSW contingency went to HIM after their 73-9 season ended at the hands of the Cavs. Let’s be clear…. the Warriors have NEVER beaten the Cavs with a healthy trio of LBJ, Kyrie and Love playing UNTIL they came to Durant for help. They came to HIM not the other way around and he was CLEARLY the best player on their team. Show more respect.
I agree and everyone saying that KD’s rings have an asterisc do not say the same about Steph’s rings, that is so non-logical as you can get.
If KD never joined them maybe they don’t reach the finals those three years and surely they weren’t beating the Cavs so easily like they did.
The Cavs have NEVER beaten the Warriors without massive help from the league.
And NBAis2K kicks balls. GSW blew a 3-1 lead and had to sign Durant to get back on track.
it’s funny to hear a guy who never won a ring try and critize a player with two finals mvps in his trophy case
Still baffled why KD left GS. He left for all the trivial reasons.
1) he was tired of people criticizing his decision
2) he wanted to have his own team, not Curry’s
3) he wanted to be HC and GM too
4) he didnt like getting yelled at from Green
5) he didnt like Kerr for not always listening to his advice
6) wanted to play with weirdo Kyrie
KD could have won many more titles and Finals MVP in GS and become one of GOAT. Too bad.
@Michol
IMO, you’re way off base with #s 2, 3, 5. He never seemed jealous over Curry. He was the MVP of both titles runs, not Curry. He never was the type to dictate to anyone on player decisions. He just wants to hoop. I’ve never heard of anyone mention beef between him and Kerr.
KD always wanted to make personnel decisions on and off the court such as hiring his buddies. A good example is Deandre Jordan. Curry was somewhat able to have his hires and KD was not happy. KD is basically making all personnel decisions gor Nets including firing of Atkinson and hiring of Nash. As for Kerr, it is well documented that KD had issues with hm.
@michol
everyone knew they were going to sign Jordan because they needed bigs. he absolutely is NOT making personnel decisions and I’ve read nothing indicating that. they might ASK him about a player but that’s a far cry from demanding them to do something.
His comments after he left about how he would never be viewed the same as GSW’s drafted players prove #2 is correct.
Durant used GSW, HSW used Durant. The conspiracy toget back at the Cavs.