Ben Simmons minute restriction: Latest status of Nets star forward's availability against Jazz

Ben Simmons will make a return tonight against the Utah Jazz after being sidelined since Nov. 8, 2023. The Brooklyn Nets guard suffered a back injury that has kept him off the court for three months. Now, he's set to make a return to the court and play for his team.

According to sources, Simmons will be on a minute restriction to monitor his recently recovered back. The Nets also announced that the 6-foot-10 guard will come off the bench tonight. He started all the games he's played in for this season and has only played for six games.

Brooklyn's head coach Jacque Vaughn didn't go into detail about how many minutes the 2017-18 Rookie of the Year will play tonight.

This will be the first game where Simmons will come off the bench this season. In his previous campaign, he played 42 games and started in 33.

The Nets guard is averaging 6.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists. The three-time All-Star has dominated the glass, as he has played five games where he finished with double digits in rebounding.

Many are waiting for Simmons' return as his defense has helped the team's bid for the postseason.

You might also be interested in reading this: Is Ben Simmons playing tonight against the Utah Jazz? Latest on 3x All-Star's return after injury (January 29)

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What injury did Ben Simmons' underwent?

Ben Simmons had to go through a pinched nerve in his lower back that caused him to miss three months of action. The last game he played was on Nov. 6 against the Milwaukee Bucks. Simmons played 33 minutes that game, but wasn't aggressive offensively, as he finished with two points, 15 rebounds and four assists.

Even before his stint with the Nets, it's been known that Simmons has suffered from back issues. During his days with the Philadelphia 76ers, the point guard would miss games due to his back issues.

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Simmons' teammate shares excitement upon his return

The Nets are trying their best to become a legit playoff team this season. However, injuries have held them back and caused them to lose a significant amount of games. They still have a slight shot at making it to the postseason as they're currently 11th in the Eastern Conference.

With Simmons' return, there's a chance that the Nets could be an underrated team moving forward. Cam Johnson shared how excited he is to see his teammate back on the floor.

"I’m excited," said Johnson. "He’s a big piece of what we want to do. You know, I only got to play the first game of the season with him, and even then I was kind of fresh back. So it wasn’t really, necessarily, full-go. So I’m really excited to get back on board and re-establish that chemistry and the way we want to play."

Fans are eager to see the Nets have Simmons back on the floor as he's still an effective player for the team.