Brooklyn Nets’ Ben Simmons to miss next three NBA games

• Ben Simmons will miss the next three matches due to a calf injury, his team Brooklyn Nets has confirmed
• Simmons was diagnosed on his left lateral upper calf strain on Wednesday this week
• The announcement on Simmons’ injury was announced before the Nets faced Washington Wizards on Wednesday

After receiving a diagnosis of a left lateral upper calf strain, Brooklyn Nets swingman Ben Simmons will be sidelined for at least the next three games, the team announced prior to Wednesday’s game against the Washington Wizards.

MRI results showed that Simmons, who has already missed six games this season due to left knee pain, is dealing with a new problem close to the knee, according to Nets coach Jacque Vaughn.

“It’s the knee, but the back of the knee,” Vaughn said before Wednesday’s game. “He was grabbing his knee during the game and said he needed to come out. It ended up being the back of the knee, so it’s the upper part of the calf.”

Brooklyn Nets swingman Ben Simmons will miss the next three matches in the NBA with an injury. | PHOTO: The Seattle Times |

The organization stated at the time that Simmons’ knee problem caused him to leave Monday’s match against the Orlando Magic. After failing to get into any groove for the first month of the season after off-season back surgery, he finally managed to find some consistency in his game in the last two weeks.

Prior to Wednesday’s game, Simmons and Vaughn reportedly spoke; however, it is still unknown how many minutes Simmons will play when he eventually rejoins the lineup.

“I don’t know if we can pinpoint and say it was one thing or another,” Vaughn said of Simmons’ latest setback. “Acute injury, could it have been an accumulation of games? We had five [games] in seven [nights]. That could have definitely contributed to it. He doesn’t remember a specific event that happened in the game, so I think it’s on us to be smart when he does come back.

Ben Simmons in action during a past match for Brooklyn Nets in the NBA. | PHOTO: NBA |

“Does that mean minute restriction? Maybe so. Does that mean not playing back-to-backs? Maybe so. Nothing’s out of the realm of considering what’s best for the team, which we’ll always consider. But we want each individual to be able to play every single game. That’s the goal.”

The Nets also announced that big man Yuta Watanabe would miss at least another week because of ongoing issues with a right hamstring strain. Watanabe, who hasn’t played since Nov. 20, initially thought the injury wasn’t serious, but a follow-up MRI on Monday revealed results “consistent” with the first test.

Both Simmons and Watanabe are scheduled to be reassessed again next week.