Ben Simmons not playing yet due to conditioning

Dave Early: Steve Nash says the primary reason Ben Simmons isn’t in yet is conditioning. Mentions the long lay-off he’s had going back to June.
Source: Twitter @DavidEarly

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Ben Simmons is now in the Nets’ hype video. – 7:44 PM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
Nash: Ben Simmons’ conditioning keeping him from #Nets‘ debut. #NBA nypost.com/2022/02/24/ben… via @nypostsports – 7:38 PM

Sean Grande @SeanGrandePBP
Celtics at Nets – Barclays Center – February 24, 2022 – Starters
Boston – Smart, Brown, Tatum, Horford, R. Williams
Brooklyn – Patty Mills, Seth Curry, Bruce Brown, LaMarcus Aldridge, Andre Drummond
OUT: Boston: N/A Brooklyn: Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons, Joe Harris, Goran Dragic pic.twitter.com/95S2jTkb1q – 7:01 PM

Dave Early @DavidEarly
“I think Kevin’s probably the closest but has some time to make up still. Ben and Joe trail behind him.”
-Coach Nash gives updates on Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, and Joe Harris. – 6:25 PM

Dave Early @DavidEarly
“Conditioning, just got to try and get him to a place where he can, – you know it’s been a long lay off so he hasn’t played NBA basketball for a long time. So just try and work through that.” 
-Coach Nash’s answer if conditioning or something else is why Ben Simmons isn’t ready. – 6:17 PM

Dave Early @DavidEarly
Steve Nash says Kevin Durant is closer to return than Ben Simmons and Joe Harris. Says KD has had at least one high intensity practice. – 5:56 PM

Dave Early @DavidEarly
Steve Nash says the primary reason Ben Simmons isn’t in yet is conditioning. Mentions the long lay-off he’s had going back to June. – 5:51 PM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
Steve Nash says its conditioning right now thats keeping Ben Simmons off the court. #Nets – 5:51 PM

Nick Friedell @NickFriedell
As Ben Simmons starts the Brooklyn chapter of his NBA career, his former teammate in Philly, Seth Curry, believes Simmons is in a much better place mentally than he’s been in a while. Curry also doesn’t think Simmons owes him an apology for his Sixers exit.espn.com/nba/story/_/id… – 3:40 PM

Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria
KD, Ben Simmons, Kyrie and Dragic all out tonight for the Nets – 10:56 AM

More on this storyline

Danny Green: Green: That’s it, let bygones be bygones. I understand you have a mental health issue, I understand you don’t want to play where you want to — whatever it is, you did what you needed to do to make better for you in your life. That’s cool. Do I think you could have handled it better? For sure, because we had nothing against you as teammates, still have nothing against you. But it all depends on how that game goes, how he interacts in that game, how well he plays or how cleanly or non-cleanly he or us plays against each other, is going to determine how we shake hands. But I highly doubt he plays in that game, and if he does, I highly doubt he wants to shake hands before or after that game. -via Philly Voice / February 23, 2022

If you were expecting to see Ben Simmons soon after the end of the All-Star Break, you should lower your expectations. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne who has excellent sources in Simmons camp, says the newest Net isn’t likely to play for “weeks.” Here’s what she said on ESPN’s NBA Today Monday… “Ben Simmons, from what I’m told, is going to really ramp it up this week and see where he’s at at the end of the week, but he’s getting close. I don’t think it’s going to–it’s going to be more like weeks rather than months.” -via NetsDaily / February 22, 2022

Did Ben Simmons miss all his 76ers games this season, as he claimed, due to mental-health issues? Or was he just holding out to induce a trade? Philadelphia’s judgment seemed apparent, as the team reportedly fined him more than $19 million before dealing him to the Nets. But 76ers president Daryl Morey said he believes Simmons. -via NBC Sports / February 18, 2022