Ben Simmons weeks away from returning?

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.”
Source: Net Income @ NetsDaily

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Malika Andrews @malika_andrews
“I did a lot of chasing around trying to get him back and try to make him feel comfortable again. It was tough. I didn’t care anymore.”
Joel Embiid on Ben Simmons, James Harden, and the MVP race. Catch our convo on NBA Today: pic.twitter.com/cI2dXv6QIn – 1:04 PM Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Was Ben Simmons unhappy not being alpha in 76ers locker room? nba.nbcsports.com/2022/02/22/was… – 1:01 PM Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Report: Ben Simmons “weeks” away from debut with Nets nba.nbcsports.com/2022/02/22/rep… – 11:03 AM Jordan Schultz @Schultz_Report
Ben Simmons in Brooklyn checks all the boxes!
He’s the perfect complement to KD/Kyrie — and a key reason why the #Nets present a real threat in the East! 😤
🎥: @TheGameDayHoops
pic.twitter.com/NbXBkOKV6N – 6:56 PM Anthony Puccio @APOOCH
We’re looking at a very deep team if the Nets can get these guys on the floor together…
KD
Kyrie (p/t)
Ben Simmons
Joe Harris (?)
Patty Mills
Seth Curry
Andre Drummond
LaMarcus Aldridge
Goran Dragic
Blake Griffin
Cam Thomas
Nic Claxton – 2:14 PM Anthony Puccio @APOOCH
Sean Marks completely revamped this Nets team since the deadline.
Added: Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, Goran Dragic
Lost: James Harden, Paul Millsap, Jevon Carter – 1:58 PM Jorge Sierra @hoopshype
Nets guard rotation: Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons, Patty Mills, Seth Curry, Goran Dragic, Cam Thomas.
Not bad. – 1:42 PM Sam Amick @sam_amick
Also in the column….
* Joel Embiid has been fantastic, but the overlooking of Nikola Jokic’s season (which is better than his MVP campaign) simply has to stop
* Adam Silver, Draymond Green, and Trae Young discuss the James Harden-Ben Simmons sagas
theathletic.com/3139321/2022/0… – 9:16 PM Keith Pompey @PompeyOnSixers
NBA commissioner Adam Silver shows compassion for Ben Simmons and his mental health status inquirer.com/sixers/ben-sim… via @phillyinquirer – 7:26 PM Keith Pompey @PompeyOnSixers
NBA commissioner Adam Silver shows compassion for Ben Simmons and his mental health status inquirer.com/sixers/ben-sim… via @phillyinquirer #Sixers #Nets – 3:37 PM Brian Mahoney @briancmahoney
Adam Silver doesn’t like the circumstances that led to the Ben Simmons-James Harden swap. He just doesn’t know if there’s any way to avoid them.
apnews.com/article/philad… – 10:42 PM Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
The Nets will play Andre Drummond and Ben Simmons significant minutes, which means there will be 2 non-shooters on the floor.
In a league dominated by spacing, how will that work?
“I think that there’s ways that we can make it all fit together.”
trib.al/yTJaNfL – 11:40 AM Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
Post Sports+: Why the Ben Simmons-James Harden trade could fuel the #NBA‘s next great feud – #Nets–#Sixers nypost.com/2022/02/19/why… via @nypost – 10:06 AM

More on this storyline

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 Daryl Morey: To be fair to him, he clearly – I believe . He was going through something. And it was just whether or not we could’ve gotten to the point where we would have him play basketball for us. I should have had a better relationship with Ben. I really believe that. That’s on me. -via NBC Sports / February 18, 2022 Daryl Morey: I think knowing how sensitive he was to public comments that that behooved us to be, just organizationally, more careful on that. I think it’s important you know your top players and their different spots where you have to pay attention. I’m usually a more up-front person with trades with players. I’ll be very upfront with them when things could happen. Usually, it’s more around the deadline. So, the timing on the first Harden trade got very challenging, because it was in a time when trades don’t normally happen. And so I could’ve done a lot better. -via NBC Sports / February 18, 2022