Why is Ben Simmons not playing tonight against Boston Celtics? Latest injury update from Brooklyn Nets (10th Nov)

Ben Simmons returned to action for the Brooklyn Nets this season after playing in just 42 games last year. After dealing with a back injury that left him unable to play, Simmons has appeared to find his rhythm once again this season.

So far, through the first six games of the season, Simmons has averaged 6.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game over 31.8 average minutes.

During that time, he has helped the Brooklyn Nets post a 4-4 record that currently sees them sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. With the team currently sitting atop East Group C heading into week two of the NBA's inaugural in-season tournament, Simmons will be out for Gameday 2 against the Celtics.

According to the most recent NBA.com injury report from 10:30 a.m. ET, which is updated every hour on the hour, Simmons will be one of several players out. The report lists him as out with an injury or illness, citing left hip soreness as the reason for his absence.

Brooklyn Nets v Chicago Bulls

At the same time, Nic Claxton, and Cam Thomas will be out as well, with Claxton and Thomas dealing with left ankle sprains. The news of hip soreness for Ben Simmons has left many fans concerned, given that he seems to have begun to find his rhythm once again.

Ben Simmons' early stretch with the Brooklyn Nets, and the season ahead

The absence makes it two straight for Ben Simmons, who was also forced to watch from the sidelines as his teammates played the LA Clippers.

While Simmons hasn't been scoring the ball at a high rate, he is currently sitting 14th in the league for most assists per game.

In addition, his 10.8 rebounds per game puts him in 10th place behind former teammate Joel Embiid for most rebounds per game. Although the team currently sits at 4-4 this season, the absence of Simmons heading into their second group-stage game for the NBA Cup could be significant.

While Cam Johnson and Mikal Bridges are expected to shoulder much of the offensive load, the team will lack Ben Simmons' defensive prowess.

With the Boston Celtics looking like true contenders in the Eastern Conference, the Nets will be hard-pressed to replicate the impact Claxton and Simmons would have had.

Despite the fact that there is still plenty of basketball left to be played this season, Simmons' absence could mean one of two things. The first, and most likely, is that he's simply dealing with soreness while getting back to a full schedule. The second is that he's dealing with an injury that could have a lasting impact on the season.