Ben Simmons’ 2021-22 season appears to be in flux, according to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Simmons remains out of commission with an irritation of the L-4 disc in his lower spine that spurred the 25-year-old to get a steroid epidural injection last weekend. The epidural puts Simmons’ availability for the Nets this postseason in jeopardy, the ProBasketballDocs say, as it indicates an underlying nerve issue. There are 2 potential outcomes the Docs anticipate for Simmons. If the epidural does work, Simmons will have to be immobile for 2 weeks, at which point he can begin to ramp-up to game shape. He could possibly return for the final few regular season games and the playoffs, but that is no guarantee, and would be the best-case scenario. If the epidural does not work, however, Simmons would not only be out for the rest of the season, but it would likely spell surgery to correct the perennial Defensive Player of The Year candidate’s herniated disc. Every team receives and reviews a medical history before they trade for a player, so the Nets knew about Simmons’ back issue when they brought him in, although they may not have known it was of this severity. Simmons has missed 4 games since October 2018 with back tightness at various points. Hopefully the epidural will work, but the nerve issue certainly does not bode well for Simmons and his short-term future in Brooklyn. The Nets, despite dropping to 8th in the East, are still the outright favorites to win the Eastern Conference at +280, and have the 3rd-best odds to win the Finals at +550. The respect paid to Brooklyn is based on its star power, but without Simmons to anchor the defense, the Nets will have a hard time keeping up with the Bucks, Heat, and 76ers in the East playoffs.