The Brooklyn Nets are playing their fourth matchup of the 2024-25 NBA season against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday evening. The Nets are riding the high of their 115-102 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Nevertheless, Brooklyn will enter their Denver matchup with a few injury woes, with the most notable update coming on Ben Simmons.
During the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, Simmons dealt with back injuries that eventually prevented him from playing. The seventh-year forward has gone through surgery and lengthy rehab processes to enter the 2024-25 season healthy. Despite Simmons being at full strength, he still needs to do things to maintain the health of his back.
Thus, Simmons is ruled out for Tuesday's Nuggets game due to lower back injury management, per Erik Slater of ClutchPoints. Bojan Bogdanovic (left foot injury recovery), Day'Ron Sharpe (left hamstring strain), and Trendon Watford (left hamstring) are all out as well.
Furthermore, Dariq Whitehead, Tyrese Martin Jaylen Martin, and Cui Yongxi are questionable for the game due to G League assignments, Slater added.
It makes sense for Ben Simmons to sit Tuesday's game out. Outside of routine back maintenance, if he is experiencing soreness, the Nets will want to get it taken care of as soon as possible. Moreover, the team is playing the Memphis Grizzlies in a back-to-back on Wednesday, so Brooklyn is smart to monitor Simmons' load.
Hopefully, Simmons' back injury management goes smoothly.
Nets have their hands full again with Nuggets
Brooklyn just faced the 2021 NBA champions on Sunday night, and now, and they take on the 2023 title-winning Nuggets. The Nets' early-season schedule is not taking it easy on them. Nevertheless, they have already proved they have what it takes to be competitive against high-caliber foes, and they can continue to do so.
Denver travels to the Barclay's Center right after their thrilling 127-125 overtime win over the Toronto Raptors. Three-time league MVP Nikola Jokic racked up a whopping 40 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists in the victory. He will likely be tired going into Tuesday's Nets matchup, but that will not stop him from leading his time with authority.
Brooklyn must do all they can to slow the star center, and while they will not have Ben Simmons in their resistance, they thankfully will have Nic Claxton at the helm. Claxton totaled 10 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks in Sunday's Bucks win. He continues to ramp up his activity after suffering hamstring tightness in preseason, so he should be strong and ready to go against the Nuggets.
The Nets are looking for another big win on Tuesday in front of their home crowd again.