The first round of the playoff is set to start on Saturday, April 16. The Brooklyn Nets will take on the Boston Celtics in what should be an exciting series. This is two teams who have a legitimate shot at winning the Eastern conference.
Nets injury report
April 24 update: Many expected Ben Simmons to return in Game 4 against the Celtics, but the Nets have ruled him out. It looks like Simmons will play next season for Brooklyn rather than in this postseason.
Nets are listing Ben Simmons as OUT for Game 4 vs. Celtics. A surprise as Simmons had been expected to play Monday as long as rehab was on course.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 24, 2022
The big injury everyone had been waiting to hear about was Ben Simmons. Back in early February, the Nets acquired Simmons in a trade with Philadelphia. Simmons has yet to play this season. He’s been dealing with a back injury and they’ve been extremely cautious with him as they slowly ramping him up.
Although many people criticize Simmons for his offensive woes, he will immediately give the Nets a boost. He was one of the best defenders in the NBA last season and the Nets could really use that this season. Everybody knows how much talent the Nets have, but that has only been on the offensive end. Of all the teams in playoffs, the Nets have one of the worst defensive efficiencies.
Both Seth Curry and Goran Dragic were also on the injury report for the Nets to close the season. Curry’s ankle has been bothering him for a while now and the sharpshooter will likely be playing through some pain in this series. Dragic has cleared health protocols, so he’s good to go. Both guards played in the play-in game against the Cavaliers, so they should be fine with the extra rest ahead of this series.