Getty Ben Simmons is getting ready to debut with the Nets.
The Brooklyn Nets pulled off a blockbuster trade at the NBA trade deadline that saw James Harden get shipped out of town in exchange for Ben Simmons, Andre Drummond and Seth Curry.
Before the trade, Brooklyn was floundering with Kevin Durant out with an injury, but with Drummond and Curry available immediately, the Nets were able to get some wins going into the break.
Simmons hasn’t played at all this season, but he’s nearing a return for the Nets after flaming out with the 76ers in last year’s playoffs. One constant critique of Simmons throughout his career has been his shooting.
He’s always put up good percentages, but he’s not a threat at all when he’s not near the basket, but it looks like the Nets might be working on changing that.
Could Simmons Become a Shooter?
Kyle Korver (who’s now a player development coach for the Nets) working with Ben Simmons after practice. 👀
(📽️: @NickFriedell)
In a video posted from the Brooklyn Nets practice, Simmons can be seen working with Kyle Korver, a retired NBA marksman who is now a player development coach with the Nets.
In the footage, you can see Simmons working on his shots with Korver, but there’s no telling how in-depth things got by just judging it all off a 20 second clip. Fans were no doubt excited to see Simmons working with a shooter with as many accolades as Korver.
However, there’s definitely long journey for Simmons to become a good shooter and it won’t be something that happens overnight. Fans certainly have hopes he can become a shooter and the footage of this practice quickly went viral.
If there was anybody who could help fix Simmons’ shot and confidence, it’d be Korver who was an All-Star with the Atlanta Hawks when he hit nearly half of his three pointers.
As for the Nets, they’ll be hoping he’s ready to return to action soon because they can definitely use him.
Nets Are Looking Good
GettyKevin Durant walks past Steve Nash and David Vanterpool.
With the optimism the Nets are getting Kyrie Irving back full-time, the team will finally be able to make their championship run. Instead of having Harden as part of the Big 3, it’s actually going to be Simmons, but the depth the team received in return could be more beneficial.
At full strength, Brooklyn would be sporting Simmons, Irving, Durant, Drummond and Curry all in the lineup, which would definitely be fearsome and able to stand up against any team in the league.
Durant’s health is a concern going forward, but if he’s able to match his previous performance from pre-injury, then the Nets will be in great shape going forward. Of course, that means a lot has to go right and the team currently finds themselves sitting in the 8th spot in the suddenly competitive Eastern Conference. There’s plenty of time for the team to get things turned around, but the clock is ticking.
With a roster like the Nets, it’s hard to imagine them staying that low for long, but that does rely on the team getting healthy and ready to go. The All Star Break is nearly over, so the team will be back in action very soon to make their push.
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