As always, the Brooklyn Nets were on point with their Ben Simmons agenda. Following his surgery and a smooth recovery without complications, the organization has conveyed a positive outlook for his future. However, beneath this optimism is a strategic approach—the Nets aim to enhance Simmons’ value, not only as a player but also as a trade asset. The front office understands that no team will be willing to shoulder the Aussie’s contract unless he shows signs of regaining his former self on the court.

The hooper needs to elevate his performance to a point where teams see him as an asset rather than a liability. The ‘Ben Simmons comeback’ has deceived Nets fans not once, but twice. Maybe they should pay heed to J Cole’s ‘Fool Me Once & Twice’ lyric.

And it has happened yet again. The Aussie’s need for ‘injury management’ simply means that he’ll be ‘OUT’ against the Denver Nuggets. “With the #Nets having a back-to-back, Ben Simmons was always going to sit either the front end or the back end. Apparently they picked tomorrow,” Brian Lewis of the NY Post has confirmed.

Ben’s recurring fitness issues have understandably bred some bitterness. Instead of diving into discussions about the best ways to recover from nerve impingements or questioning Simmons’ dedication to his rehab, we can acknowledge the truth: supporting the Nets and counting on Simmons has mostly been a frustrating experience. This will be the first absence of the season for 2016’s No. 1 draft pick. Though it’s a back-to-back game for the Nets, can anyone really blame Brooklyn here?

A below-par 2024-25 season for Ben Simmons, so far

Simmons, who’s averaging 5.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game with shooting splits of 50.0% from the floor and 75.0% from the line, has been playing as the second point guard alongside Dennis Schroder in the starting lineup. Although he’s physically cleared to play, his reluctance to drive to the rim and look for his own shot persists. He’s putting up a career-low 6.0 field-goal attempts per 36 minutes and has only gone to the free-throw line four times. You can clearly see him hesitate when he has the ball.

Nic Claxton, coming off a hamstring injury, will step into the starting center role, while Cam Thomas, Shake Milton, and Keon Johnson are likely to take on more ball-handling duties in his absence.

Alongside Ben Simmons, forwards Bojan Bogdanovic (recovering from a left foot injury) and Trendon Watford (left hamstring strain), as well as Day’Ron Sharpe (left hamstring strain), are ruled out for Tuesday’s matchup against Denver. All of them also missed the matchup against the Bucks. With several players unavailable against a strong opponent, the Nets are keeping some G League options — Jacky Cui, Jaylen Martin, Tyrese Martin, and Dariq Whitehead — on standby in case they need to fill roster spots just before tip-off.

The Nets have a 1-2 record this season but did very well to beat the Milwaukee Bucks in their last match. And they are still undefeated on their home court. They’ll be looking to keep that latter stat the same way as they take on the Nuggets tonight.