ATLANTA — Nets starters Ben Simmons and Cam Thomas will remain out for the next handful of games, but both are improving, with Simmons having at least begun light on-court work and Thomas expected to practice next week.

Simmons missed his seventh straight game Wednesday in Atlanta with a nerve impingement in the lower left quadrant of his back.

While he’s played just 48 of 132 possible games since joining Brooklyn and got shut down last season with a different nerve impingement, this injury is far less severe. Simmons is moving forward with treatment and has begun light individual court work.

The Nets said his status will be updated again in 7-10 days.

Neither the statement nor head coach Jacque Vaughn offered specifics on what exactly the “light work” entailed.

“That’s why we leave those guys at home. I don’t see everything. Last time, I saw Ben that light … just light on-court work, whatever that technically means,” Vaughn said before the Nets’ 147-145 loss to the Hawks on Wednesday night in Atlanta. “I said the other day, I’m always honest with you guys, he wasn’t practicing. He’s not on the floor with other individuals. So it’s just light work at home. Most of the coaches or all the coaches are here with us.”

After Simmons missed three games with a left hip contusion, The Post first reported that he had a nerve impingement.

Back specialist Dr. Neel Anand told The Post that the All-Star would need anti-inflammatory medication and a week or two of rehab before he could resume practice, then at least another week before a return to the court.

So far, that timeline still looks accurate.

“Absolutely [it’s short term]. One-to-two weeks, he’s fine. He’s back rehabbing. He’ll be back [playing] in three-to-four weeks. Max, six weeks,” Anand told The Post before the Nets’ 122-115 loss to the Heat last Wednesday night. “He’ll do rehab and be right back to where it was.”

Meanwhile, Thomas appears closer to a return.

Thomas, out with a sprained left ankle, has been cleared for increased on-court activity.

Thomas is expected to be integrated into team activities next week as he progresses with his return-to-play program.

Essentially, Vaughn was hopeful of getting his high-scoring off-guard back at practice next week.

“Oh, I guess I can look towards next week,” said Vaughn. “I’m going to kind of stick by the statement that we put out. He is on court, shooting the basketball and last time I saw him, hopefully that continues to progress and he gets to a position where we can practice one of those days when we get back home.

“But that’s after the weekend. Those two games. So we’ll see what that looks like going into next week.”

Wednesday’s game in Atlanta marked the sixth consecutive game missed by Thomas, who rolled his ankle stepping on P.J. Tucker’s foot Nov. 8. His team-high 26.9 point scoring average would be top-10 in the league if he qualified.

Cam Johnson had 23 points and forced overtime against the Hawks with a tip-in of a Mikal Bridges miss. But he cramped up and had to sit out the extra period.

“I just cramped up, that’s all. It just jumped on me, started in the fourth quarter and I tried to hang on as long as I could. But yeah, I’ll be alright. Nothing to worry about,” said Johnson, who shot 8-of-13 and 5-of-8 from deep.

“We brought him out of the game, tried to get some fluids in him. And then tried to go back with him again, cramped up, just couldn’t finish,” Vaughn said. “So, gave what he had. That’s what we’ve got to be about — give everything that you have, every ounce that you have, reload and then do it again the next time.”

Both Johnson and Vaughn expect him to play in the back-to-back at home this weekend.

“No problem at all. No worries. It happens sometimes,” said Johnson.

“Yes, he should be, hopefully within a couple of days in between, we should be able to get some fluids in him,” added Vaughn. “He will have some family time, little time off, he should be OK.”

“Oh, I guess I can look towards next week,” said Vaughn. “I’m going to kind of stick by the statement that we put out. He is on court, shooting the basketball and last time I saw him, hopefully that continues to progress and he gets to a position where we can practice one of those days when we get back home.”

“But that’s after the weekend. Those two games. So we’ll see what that looks like going into next week.”

Wednesday’s game in Atlanta marked the sixth consecutive game missed by Thomas, who rolled his ankle stepping on P.J. Tucker’s foot Nov. 8. His team-high 26.9 point scoring average would be top-10 in the league if he qualified.

Brooklyn plays host to Miami and Chicago in a back-to-back this weekend.

Dennis Smith Jr. underwent an MRI exam on Tuesday, and the results on Wednesday confirmed the previous diagnosis of a lower-back sprain.

The backup point guard, who missed his second game Wednesday night, will keep getting treatment and is listed as day-to-day.

The imaging result is a positive, not finding any additional damage.

“Yeah, that it wasn’t anything more to it,” said Vaughn. “And so hopefully now it’s just … each individual is different. Each injury is different. And so he’ll be in that bucket of being day-to-day and hopefully he has some turkey and cranberry and he’s feeling better sooner than we think.”