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Simmons (conditioning) may not be cleared make his Brooklyn debut for "weeks," Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reports. "Ben Simmons, from what I'm told, is going to really ramp it up this week and see where he's at at the end of the week," Shelburne said Monday on ESPN's "NBA Today," as transcribed by NetsDaily.com. "But he's getting close...it's going to be more like weeks rather than months."
Upon acquiring Simmons on Feb. 10 as part of the blockbuster deal that sent James Harden to Philadelphia, Brooklyn was prepared for the three-time All-Star to require some ramp-up time, given that he hadn't played or practiced for the 76ers since the start of the regular season. Though fantasy managers may have been hoping that the All-Star break provided adequate time for the 25-year-old to get his conditioning in order, Shelburne -- who is well-sourced within the player's camp -- suggests that Simmons won't be ready to go when the Nets return to action Thursday in Celtics. The fact that Shelburne is describing Simmons' debut as being "weeks" away indicates that he'll miss additional time beyond Thursday, so managers shouldn't rush to activate him until a clearer target date for his debut comes into focus. Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving is ineligible to play for the home game versus Boston, and Kevin Durant (knee) is seemingly ramping up for a return from an extended absence but is still likely to miss several more games.
