Getty Ben Simmons #10 of the Brooklyn Nets on the bench against the Washington Wizards.
Ben Simmons got the fresh start he was looking for when the Philadelphia 76ers traded him to the Brooklyn Nets in the blockbuster James Harden trade.
The Sixers sent Simmons, Seth Curry and Andre Drummond to the Nets for Harden and Paul Millsap.
Simmons hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since Game 7 of the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals between the Sixers and Atlanta Hawks. The LSU product played 35 minutes and finished with five points, eight rebounds and 13 assists while shooting 2-of-4 from the field and 1-of-2 from the free-throw line.
In the fourth quarter, Simmons passed up a wide-open dunk attempt and dished the ball to Matisse Thybulle, who got fouled and went 1-of-2 from the free-throw line. After that sequence, the Hawks went on a 5-0 run to go ahead 93-87 with 2:31 left in regulation. They wound up winning 103-96 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals and Sixers fans burned Simmons’ jersey outside the Wells Fargo Center.
The Nets and Sixers face each other on March 10 in Philadelphia. Simmons told Brooklyn reporters during his introductory press conference that he hopes to play in that contest.
However, one of his former teammates doesn’t see it happening.
Danny Green: I’d Be Highly Surprised if Simmons Plays on March 10
On the latest episode of his podcast, Inside The Green Room, Sixers shooting guard Danny Green said he’d be surprised if Simmons plays on March 10.
“Now, will we shake hands to start? Probably not,” Green said, via Adam Hermann of NBC Sports Philadelphia. “First, I’d be highly surprised if he even plays in that game. I don’t know where his health is – mentally, physically, I know he had other issues – and we all know he does not like to play in Philly. So if he does play in that game, I’d be highly surprised.
“But say that does happen. I see it as being a very hectic playoff-like environment, atmosphere, to where it may be very rough for him. Depending on how he acts – I don’t have any ill wills towards the guy. I don’t hate him, I don’t dislike him, it’s just – for me it’s whatever. I don’t waste more energy going out of my way to dislike him or spend any more energy trying to go out of my way to hate him or do things to him. If he comes up and shows love, I’ll say, ‘What’s up?’ That’s the type of deal I’m on.”
Simmons averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists in 275 regular-season games with the Sixers. He made three All-Star teams, two All-Defensive teams and one All-NBA team and won the 2017-18 Rookie of the Year Award.
However, Simmons never developed a jump shot and looked scared to shoot the ball in the Hawks series. The lefty shot 33.3% from the free-throw line and played 34 minutes in the fourth quarter of Games 4-7 and had zero field-goal attempts.
Simmons is still seeing a therapist so he can get mentally ready to play with the Nets. He told Brooklyn reporters that it wasn’t good for him to be on the Sixers anymore, which is why he requested a trade.
Simmons on Sixers: ‘It Just Got to a Place Where I Don’t Think It Was Good for Me Mentally’
When Simmons was asked by a Brooklyn reporter why things got so bad in Philadelphia, the All-Star gave a telling answer.
“If I knew, I would tell you everything,” Simmons said. “But there’s just a lot of things internally that had to happen over time. And it just got to a place where I don’t think it was good for me mentally. So it is what it is. It happened, and [I’m] moving forward.”
Green doesn’t expect Simmons to play on March 10, while Nets fans are certainly hopeful their new floor general will suit up and demolish his former team on national television.