Getty Ben Simmons #10 of the Brooklyn Nets.
The only thing Brooklyn Nets star Ben Simmons catches grief for more than his injury history, it has been his lack of aggression when on the basketball court. But if his recovery process is any indication, Nets fans may be pleased with what they see from the 26-year-old three-time All-Star come next season.
“The group around Ben has noticed a complete change in Ben’s focus and mentality [through] this rehab and how he has attacked it and engaged with everything,” reported Brian Lewis of The New York Post on May 17.
All 42 of Simmons’ appearances this past season came before the All-Star break.
When Simmons was active, Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn called him out for what has become a signature lack of assertiveness and the troubles it causes in utilizing him.
“Can he protect the rim for us,” Vaughn said to Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News rhetorically in December. “Can he guard on the perimeter for us? Can he push the pace? All of those things at a high level. Not as if he’s playing 32 minutes, but 22.”
Simmons averaged career lows with 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists this season. But at his peak, he was a 16.8-point, 8.8-board, 7.7-assist force.
He has still never averaged fewer than 1.3 steals per game in any season.
With two years and more than $78 million remaining on his contract, the Nets have to hope that he can continue progressing along the 18-month timeline that similar procedures have taken for players like Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr.
Nets general manager Sean Marks has noted that Simmons shouldn’t require additional surgery.
Ben Simmons Said the Right Things
“I like to be called out,” Simmons told reporters following a Nets win over the Milwaukee Bucks in December via the YES Network. “Especially when I’m not contributing to helping the team win. So, for me, I want to be able to improve in certain areas to help this team.”
Simmons averaged career lows with 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists this season. But with two years and more than $78 million remaining on his contract, the Nets have to hope that he can continue progressing along the 18-month timeline that similar procedures have taken for players like Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr.
Brooklyn is hoping for a return of the player that looked to be a two-way force, albeit an unconventional one.
Ben Simmons’ last game:
🔥 22 points
🔥 11-13 shooting
He returns to Philly tonight as his @BrooklynNets face the 76ers at 7:30pm/et on TNT!
The lone player with an All-Star appearance to his name, Simmons could be the piece this group is missing to unlock the true potential of Mikal Bridges as a primary scorer and secondary ball handler.
Or Cameron Johnson – assuming he returns in restricted free agency – in a tertiary playmaker’s role while also providing the kind of reliable floorspace a player like Simmons needs.
It won’t matter, however, if he cannot get fully healthy but he appears to be on track for that too.
“Ben has been cleared to progress to his next stage of his rehab and is progressing really well,” Simmons’ agent Bernie Lee told Lewis. “And we remain very excited about his ability to return to form next year.”
Dwight Howard Name Drops Ben Simmons in Open Invitation
Former NBA big man and 2020 NBA Finals champion Dwight Howard took his talent overseas and is playing in Taiwan for the Taoyuan Leopards, a team in the island nation’s “top league”, in 2022, per NBA.com and the Associate Press.
He has become quite the attraction in his new home and was even generous enough to extend an invitation to all of his “washed” NBA brethren, including Simmons.
Dwight Howard called out more players last night — mostly playoff under-performers — to Taiwan:
Jordan Poole
Julius Randle
Ben Simmons
Deandre Ayton
Klay Thompson
Chris Paul
Kevin Durant
James Harden
“They talking ’bout him coming back to Houston but I think this might be a…
Howard’s list features an even split of aging vets and disappointing younger players. Simmons’ career arc is not pointing toward Taiwan at this point and certainly not as he is making progress in his recovery.