Ben Simmons' status for Game 4 against the Boston Celtics remains uncertain as the Brooklyn Nets wait to see how his back responds from the past few days of practice.
Nash said that Simmons, who has not played in an NBA game since June 20 after requesting a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers over the summer, is still being evaluated. Simmons has been dealing with a back injury.
Nash said after Sunday's practice that he had no idea if Simmons would play Monday.
The Nets hoped Simmons could contribute 10 to 15 minutes in Game 4 and sources had told Adrian that Simmons would play in that game.
When Simmons was talking to reporters Friday, he was optimistic about his chances of playing against the Celtics, but after Brooklyn fell into a 0-3 hole, the series changed even more.
Nash was asked if it was fair to put Simmons in that situation in his first game.
Nash said it was a good question. I believe he has to be all-in. That is part of the equation. It is not all on Ben. This is a unique situation, and you didn't play Ben. He has never played with his teammates. It's not easy to go into a playoff situation after a long period of injury and inactiveness.
There shouldn't be any conclusion made if he plays or doesn't play. Doesn't play well. It isn't fair to create a narrative out of how Affects the team positively, negatively, all that stuff is possible. We are in the position we are in. Let's face them the best we can and keep moving forward.
Simmons would make his playoff debut in a game with teammates he has never played with before. The veteran players on the Nets roster have not been participating in the scrimmages that Simmons has been in over the past week.
Nets guard Bruce Brown was asked if he thought Simmons would play.
Curry chuckled at the uncertainty of the situation when he was asked the same question Sunday.
Curry is not sure if Simmons will play, but he is hopeful that Simmons will look like an All-Star if he does.
Curry said he hoped he was close to the Ben he had seen in the past. Guard against oppositions. Hopefully provide some pace, rebound and transition game. Everything he brings if he plays in a certain amount of time. Hopefully it is just a little boost of energy as well.