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Cam Johnson has expressed faith in the health of Ben Simmons.
The Brooklyn Nets forward spoke about his teammate and how he is progressing from his injury following a Team USA practice Friday, and said that he believes Simmons is close to being fully healthy.
“He sounds good,” Johnson said, per Ethan Sears of the New York Post. “He’s in a good place. He says it’s progressing and he’s excited for the season. Looking forward to seeing what he brings to the table this year. I expect him to be, if not full form, pretty close to it.”
Simmons was reported to be healthy heading into 2023-24 in July, but the additional confidence expressed by his teammate adds extra weight to the possibility that Simmons returns to the court soon.
Simmons averaged 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists in 42 games in 2022-23, but his season ended in February as a result of persistent back issues. Injuries have been a consistent part of his career, as he hasn’t played more than 60 games in a season since 2018-19 and notably has only played those 42 games in a Nets jersey since being traded to the team in 2022.
His lack of availability, combined with his waning production in his recent games, make his nearly $80 million owed over the next season the definition of an albatross contract. However, if he were to return to form, he could be a dynamic piece for a Nets team that could be a factor in the Eastern Conference.
Brooklyn went 45-37 and earned the fifth seed in the playoffs. They were swept by Simmons’ old team, the Philadelphia 76ers, in the first round. Adding Simmons, who has three All-Star nods, could help the team take that next step as they build around pieces like Johnson and Mikal Bridges.
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