Ben Simmons is trending toward a return from an extended absence. The Los Angeles Clippers upgraded the point guard to questionable for Friday’s matchup with the Atlanta Hawks after he missed the last seven games due to a left knee injury.
Simmons injured his knee during a Feb. 28 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The three-time All-Star has appeared in five games for the Clippers following his buyout from the Brooklyn Nets. He’s averaged 5.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.1 steals on 51.5 percent shooting in 21.1 minutes per game. His size and ball-handling with the second unit have not translated to team success early on.
Ben Simmons nearing return from extended absence for Clippers
Opponents are outscoring Los Angeles by 14.4 points per 100 possessions during Simmons’ minutes, the worst net rating swing of any player since he joined the team, per CleaningTheGlass. The Clippers posted a 2-3 record in the games he played, with wins over the Utah Jazz (OT) and Chicago Bulls and losses to the Lakers, Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks.
Tyronn Lue’s squad has posted a 4-3 record over the last seven games with Simmons sidelined. The recent struggles have dropped the Clippers to eighth in the Western Conference standings, 1.5 games behind the Minnesota Timberwolves for seventh and two behind the Golden State Warriors for sixth with 16 remaining.
Norman Powell remains out for Friday’s Hawks matchup. The breakout guard has been sidelined for the last six games after he strained his hamstring during a Mar. 2 loss to the Lakers. Powell has averaged 23.8 points per game on 49/42/82 shooting splits this season.
The 31-year-old ranks fifth in the NBA in effective field goal percentage (59.2) among players attempting over 15 shots per game, trailing only Nikola Jokic (62.7), Zach LaVine (61.0), Giannis Antetokounmpo (60.7) and Kevin Durant (59.7).
Atlanta has won four of its last five games entering Friday’s matchup. Clint Capela is questionable due to family reasons.
The post Clippers’ Ben Simmons upgraded on injury report vs. Hawks appeared first on ClutchPoints.
