Ben Simmons dealt another discouraging setback on his road back to All-Star status

Ben Simmons has been dealt another huge setback in his road back to All-Star status with the Brooklyn Nets.

It may be difficult to believe now but there was a time a few years ago when Ben Simmons was viewed as one of the most talented rising stars in the NBA. It seemed as a foregone conclusion that he was going to continue to develop into a superstar in the league. However, that's when injuries (and perhaps other issues) took hold of his career.

Roughly four years after averaging 14 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists per game on 56 percent shooting from the field, Simmons is struggling to even stay on the floor for the Brooklyn Nets. Last season, Simmons only played in 45 games for the Nets and this year, he only managed to appear in 15 in which he averaged six points per game.

While the flashes in his game are certainly still there and very much evident from time to time when he's on the floor, Simmons is far from the player that most believed was going to make the jump to superstardom. In fact, at this point, there's no guarantee he's ever going to be a mainstay for any team ever again with the way injuries continue to stack up.

Ben Simmons hit with the injury bug again

And, on cure, the injury bug has hit Simmons again. According to a recent report, Simmons is set to undergo a back procedure in an attempt to help alleviate a nerve impingement in his lower back.

Simmons was already slated to miss the remainder of the season but after this most recent procedure, you can't help but wonder how much more this could impact his attempt to return to All-Star status over the next couple of seasons. To top it off, Simmons is entering the final season of his current deal with the Nets.

If it wasn't clear already, Simmons needs to be healthy and find a way to have the best season he's had if he wants to put himself in the best position to land another big deal in free agency.

Even if he just wants to get his career back on track, Simmons needs to get healthy. Hopefully, this procedure is the first step in helping Simmons on that front. But, especially as we've seen thus far in his career, that's far from a certainty.