Windhorst: Ben Simmons Targeting Nets Debut as Early as Game 4 vs. Celtics

Ben Simmons is expected to make his season debut during the Brooklyn Nets first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics.

According to Brian Windhorst on Get Up, Simmons wants to play in Game 4 or 5 of the series for the first time as a member of the Nets.

Simmons was dealt to Brooklyn as part of the deal that sent James Harden to Philadelphia, but he has not played this season.

Simmons is dealing with a back injury that has delayed his debut for the Nets.

Windhorst noted that while he heard nothing but pessimism about Simmons playing this season, things have changed dramatically in the last few days.

Simmons has yet to progress to five-on-five scrimmages during practice, as Windhorst said he was told by sources.

Sources said the hope was that Simmons could play five-on-five by the end of the week.

The Nets won the Eastern Conference play-in tournament and will be the 7th seed in the East.

The Brooklyn Nets are the most dangerous seventh seed in the history of the NBA playoffs with or without Simmons.

The Nets had some rough times this season, but now that they have both healthy and playing at a high level, they are a legitimate threat to knock out the Celtics in the first round.

Adding Simmons to the mix would make the Nets even harder to beat.

He was a three-time All-Star and was the runner-up in the NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting last season.

If Simmons could hold either of them in check, it would give the Nets a huge boost.

Brooklyn wouldn't need much of an offensive contribution from Simmons, who scored 11.9 points per game while shooting 34.2% from the free-throw line.

The load can be carried by both Irving and KD, with the likes of Curry and Mills pitching in as well.

Brooklyn will have to survive at least the first three games of its series against Boston without Simmons, and even then it isn't guaranteed that he will be back.