The Brooklyn Nets’ Ben Simmons will miss at least three games due to a left lateral upper calf strain, the team said Wednesday. Simmons departed the Nets’ victory over the Orlando Magic on Monday night due to the problem and did not return to the game. Simmons checked out for good with 9:03 remaining in the second quarter and allegedly wanted to be pulled out of the game.

Nets say Ben Simmons has been diagnosed with a left lateral upper calf strain. He will miss at least the next three games and will be reassessed after that.

— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) November 30, 2022

Simmons has already missed several games this season due to knee pain, and Vaughn stated that an increased workload is likely to blame for the ongoing issue. He had not played in an NBA game in 16 months prior to suiting up on opening night this season due to a dispute with the Philadelphia 76ers and a herniated disc in his back after being traded to the Nets, which ultimately necessitated surgical operation. The long absence, along with several mishaps, has forced the Nets to be careful with him. This season, he was demoted to the bench at one level and has often played limited minutes.However, as his play improved in recent weeks, he was reintroduced to the starting lineup and frequently played crucial minutes. He played at least 32 minutes in six straight games over an 11-day span from November 17 to November 27. Monday’s game against the Magic, which came on the second night of a back-to-back, was supposedly a watershed moment.

Simmons’ return to the bench will almost certainly be vexing news for both him and the team. This month, he was playing some of the finest basketball of his Nets career, including a 22-point, eight-rebound, five-assist performance in a win against the Memphis Grizzlies. With Kyrie Irving also back in the lineup, the Nets have won five of their last seven games to go back to.500 at 11-11. Dropping Simmons for at least three games will not help this group battle its way back into contention. – Steve Sijenyi