Nets Provide Health Updates on Cam Thomas, Ben Simmons, and Dennis Smith Jr.

Cam Thomas was cleared for increased on-court activity two weeks after spraining his left ankle. Ben Simmons will miss at least another week with a nerve impingement in his lower back, the Nets announced Wednesday. Thomas, the Nets’ leading scorer, will miss his sixth consecutive game Wednesday against Atlanta after suffering the injury in a Nov. 8 win over the Clippers. The Nets said Wednesday that the 22-year-old guard has made “significant improvement.” “He is expected to be integrated into team activities next week as he progresses with his return-to-play program,” the Nets said. Simmons was ruled out Wednesday for a seventh game in a row after coming up gimpy during the Nets’ Nov. 6 loss to Milwaukee. After initially listing his injury as a hip contusion, the Nets said an MRI last week revealed the point guard was dealing with a nerve impingement in the left side of his lower back. The Nets say Simmons has begun light individual court work and expect his status to be updated again in a week to 10 days. Backup point guard Dennis Smith Jr., meanwhile, is considered day-to-day after an MRI confirmed a sprain in his lower back, the Nets said. Wednesday marked the second game in a row Smith was ruled out.” Their returns would boost a banged-up backcourt that’s shifted starting shooting guard Spencer Dinwiddie to the point and used forward Trendon Watson as his backup in their absences. Thomas was off to a torrid start, averaging 26.9 points through the Nets’ first eight games. The third-year guard scored at least 30 points four times, including a 45-point explosion against the Bucks. Simmons, 27, is averaging 6.5 points and leads the Nets with 10.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists this season. The Nets scored at least 20 fast-break points in each of the six games the tempo-pushing Simmons played. Vaughn continued, “Ben has brought an element to our team that is irreplaceable because of the style that he plays with and the things that he helps benefit our team in doing.”” The Nets are set to kick off a five-game homestand this weekend, beginning Saturday night with a game against the Heat.