Is Ben Simmons playing tonight against the San Antonio Spurs? | January 17th, 2023 | 2022-23 NBA Season

Ben Simmons was a late scratch in the Brooklyn Nets’ 112-102 loss to the OKC Thunder due to back soreness. Part of the reason why he sat out the entirety of last season was because of debilitating back pain. Brooklyn wanted to play it safe, which is why they chose to sideline him.

The Nets, however, have removed him from their official injury report, which guarantees Simmons’ availability in tonight’s game versus the San Antonio Spurs. Unless there is a huge setback in his status, he should be back on the floor with his teammates.

The Brooklyn Nets will need whatever contribution the former Philadelphia 76ers superstar can bring to the table, particularly with Kevin Durant out. KD has a right knee MCL sprain, which will sideline him for at least a month.

Durant suffered the injury in their 102-101 win over the Miami Heat last Jan. 8. Without one of the NBA’s elite players, head coach Jacque Vaughn is counting on Ben Simmons to step up.

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What is Ben Simmons’ impact on the Brooklyn Nets?

"Big Ben's" struggles on offense has become a big problem for the Brooklyn Nets.

Ben Simmons’ value with the Brooklyn Nets has somewhat expectedly come from the defensive end, rebounding and playmaking. He’s still a way off from his three-time NBA All-Star days with the 76ers. “Big Ben” is averaging career lows across different categories.

Simmons is putting up 7.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.2 assists, which are career-worst numbers. He is shooting 58.2% from the field on mostly point-blank baskets. The Australian, though, is hitting a 41.3% clip from the free-throw line.

Vaughn has reiterated that what they need from Simmons is his impact on the defensive end and rebounding. If he can give them elite contributions in those two areas, the head coach will live with anything extra.

Ben Simmons being surrounded by shooters is still something that Vaughn has envisioned the Brooklyn Nets will consistently use. As long as they don’t get overwhelmed on the glass and their defense holds up, he has no problem putting him on the floor.

At some point, though, Simmons will have to at least pretend he’s not obviously shying away from opportunities to score. He barely even looks at the rim and is clearly afraid to go to the free-throw line to test his shooting skills.

Before sitting out in the loss to the Thunder, “Big Ben” played against the Boston Celtics on Jan. 12. He finished the game with 13 assists, nine rebounds, two steals, a block and zero points. At one point, he had a clear layup but passed to Nic Claxton at the last second.

Claxton, visibly frustrated, couldn’t hold on to the ball as he was already readying himself for a rebound. The Nets, in instances such as these, should demand more from Ben Simmons. At the very least, he should be a threat to score on can’t-miss opportunities.

Over the past 15 games, Simmons is averaging 6.7 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 5.9 points. The Brooklyn Nets are paying him $35.4 million to play more than an average role player.