Ben Simmons missed games counter: How much action has Nets star missed since 2021 playoff exit?

On Thursday morning, news emerged that Ben Simmons will miss the remainder of this season due to a back injury. This adds to the already massive number of games he has missed since his playoff meltdown in 2021.

The downfall of Simmons began in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Along with the team deploying the "hack-a-Simmons" strategy, his main lowlight was passing up a wide-open layup.

Between his holdout with the Philadelphia 76ers and this lingering back injury, Ben Simmons missed the entire 2022 season. He'd debut for the Brooklyn Nets in 2023, but would only play in 42 games.

Simmons was expected to be back to full health this season, but played even less. He was sidelines for months with this injury, and then was shut down for the year following a brief return. Simmons' games played total this year caps out at 15.

Of a possible 246 regular season games from 2022 to now, Simmons has played in just 57. By the end of this year, he'll have missed a total of 189 games.

When the Sixers drafted him No. 1 overall, they thought they were getting a future superstar. Now, he looks on his way to being another promising young talent who had their career derailed by injuries.

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Is Ben Simmons' career over?

After having another season cut short due to injury, questions are starting to be asked about Ben Simmons' future in the NBA. If he isn't able to get his back injury under control, his career could end up being cut drastically short.

Looking at his contract, time is running out for Simmons. Next season is the final year of his deal. How things go over the next 12 months will dictate what kind of market forms for him in free agency. If he has another injury-ridden season in 2025, one has to wonder if any team will end up taking a chance on him.

Since being traded to the Brooklyn Nets, Ben Simmons hasn't shown any glimpses of his former self. When on the court, he is averaging 6.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists. This is a steep drop off for a player that was All-NBA earlier in his career.

The only thing Simmons has going for him is his age. At 27-years-old, he still has time to work through his injury woes. Even if he doesn't ever return to the player he was, he could still be a rotation player who hangs around the league.

Based on how the past three years have gone, things do not look great for Simmons. He is vastly approaching "what if" territory in NBA history. He'll need to find a way to stabilize his back injury if he wants any chance at salvaging his career.