Ben Simmons Not Close to Nets Debut, Isn't Ready to Play 1-on-1 Yet, Steve Nash Says

The wait for Ben Simmons to make his debut with the Brooklyn Nets is going to continue for some time.

Head coach Steve Nash told reporters Saturday that Simmons is several steps away from being able to practice with the team:

"He's not ready for even one-on-one, let alone three-on-three, five-on-five," Nash said. "So he's got to get to a place where he can go full speed unopposed, one-on-oh, and then we'll talk about and hopefully quickly he can go to one-on-one, three-on-three, five-on-five."

Nets play-by-play announcer Ian Eagle said on The DA Show on Thursday that Simmons' "ramp-up has been a hot topic of conversation" and his "sense" was the three-time All-Star would be able to start playing at some point next week.

Simmons was able to start taking some shots during the Nets' practice on March 5, but there was no indication at that point how far away he might be from going through a full practice.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported on Feb. 26 that Simmons was experiencing back soreness as part of the reconditioning process and it would require further strengthening over a period of time before he could return.

The Nets acquired Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two future first-round draft picks from the Philadelphia 76ers for James Harden and Paul Millsap on Feb. 10.

Simmons hasn't appeared in a game all season. The last time he played was in Philadelphia's 103-96 loss to the Atlanta Hawks in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on June 20.

Time is starting to work against the Nets and Simmons to integrate him into their lineup. The regular season ends in 29 days, on April 10.

Brooklyn is currently the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 34-33 record. The team has won back-to-back games, including a 129-100 win over Philadelphia on Thursday, after losing 17 of 20 from Jan. 23 to March 6.