Ranking 10 NBA stars returning from injury by playoff importance

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 14: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on December 14, 2021 in New York City. The Warriors defeated the Knicks 105-96. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

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MIAMI, FLORIDA – MAY 13: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers in action against the Miami Heat during the first quarter at American Airlines Arena on May 13, 2021 in Miami, Florida, NBA Trades: 3 more trades to continue the Trail Blazers’ roster overhaul. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

NBA star injury returns: No. 3 – Ben Simmons

It all seems so bizarre on the surface. A player who sat out the entire season, who was last seen avoiding the ball late in a Game 7, is going to rejoin an eighth-place team a month before the end of the season (or less) and suddenly turn them into a title contender. Except… perhaps he is.

Millions of gallons of proverbial ink have been spilled on the topic of Ben Simmons and his fit with the Brooklyn Nets. Suffice it to say that it’s excellent, one of the best fits in the league.

Offensively, he can handle the ball or, hopefully, screen for his All-Star teammates in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Defensively, he can fly all over the court and be a perimeter stopper of sorts, with the versatility to slide down to guard bigger players as well.

Simmons has to be his old self when he returns, of course, and there is at least some risk that he won’t be. Yet if he is, the Nets will have a true third wheel, with razor-sharp-shooters like Patty Mills and Seth Curry mixed in.

The Nets are in eighth place; it makes a title run seem unlikely, if not impossible. Yet the Nets are still hyper-talented and could provide a scare to anyone they face in the play-in or the playoffs. They are understandably confident and ready to win now. Who knows better than Brooklyn how the future hope can disappear?