DALLAS — Ben Simmons made his return Monday in the Nets’ 96-94 loss to the Mavs. He was listed as questionable with a knee injury but proclaimed himself fit before the game. 

“Yeah, I’ll be in [Monday]. I’ll be in; I think I’ve got like 20 minutes,” said Simmons, who finished with two points, two assists and three rebounds in 16 minutes. “I feel great. It took a few days to get some rehab in, get it right. So I’m feeling great.” 

But afterwards he wasn’t as optimistic. In his return to the court, Simmons had two points, three boards, two turnovers and was a minus-7 in 15:56. 

“I mean, I’m my harshest critic, so I think terrible,” Simmons said of his performance. “There’s a place I want to get to. I gotta keep working. I gotta keep pushing myself.”

The 26-year-old Simmons had missed the past four games with a sore left knee. 

“Yeah, great to see him on the floor,” interim coach Jacque Vaughn said of Simmons. “We put him out there with a group that could play fast, hopefully some shooters around them. That stretch we didn’t make a lot of shots. But overall I thought seeing him back on the floor playing with speed play with pace, which was good.” 

Simmons entered Monday averaging 6.2 points, 7.3 assists and 6.5 rebounds, although shooting just 44.4 percent from the free-throw line. Asked if the left knee or the bad lower right back from last season had hindered him through a slow six-game start, he acknowledged it had. 

“I don’t want to make that an excuse, but I had a swollen knee. It is what it is, but it’s taken care of now, so I’m glad I’m moving [well],” said Simmons, adding the back likely played a role in the knee. 

“I think overall if you have something you’re doing on your left side, it typically affects your right side. I had a lower right back injury so it’s probably a part to it. But as time goes on I need to stay on my strength in terms of left and right knee. And then obviously continue to do the work I’ve been doing on my back.” 

Simmons wasn’t with the Nets for the start of this road trip — victories in Washington and Charlotte. 

An MRI early last week came up clean, and he had his knee drained to reduce the swelling. Still, it may be something he has to manage. 

“I think you know as an athlete your whole body you kind of have to manage, even with my back, something I continue to work on,” Simmons said. 

“But obviously coming back I know there’s gonna be different quirks and things like that with my body that I have to maintain and stay on top of. It’s been a while since I’ve played, especially this many minutes and back-to-backs and things like that. So just adjusting and staying on top of it.” 

After missing all of last season and undergoing offseason back surgery, he hasn’t looked as explosive offensively or been as impactful defensively. He began the season largely playing point guard to allow Kyrie Irving to score off the ball. Then-coach Steve Nash progressively moved Simmons more off the ball and used him as a play-making big man with the starters, or as a playmaker for the second unit. 

With Simmons returning, it remains to be seen how Vaughn will deploy him when he’s up to speed. With Irving suspended, Vaughn has started Edmond Sumner at point guard to push the pace and gone small to help the defense. 

To this point, Simmons said he hasn’t had any detailed discussions with Vaughn about his role. 

“Not too much,” Simmons said. “But I think it’s going to be similar — overall coming in with that second unit, and pushing the ball and getting those guys going. Just getting a pace to it, keeping that pace overall. So I don’t mind being off the ball, wherever the team needs me to be and whatever’s going to help this team win, you know, I’m willing to do that.”