Getty Ben Simmons (left) and Jimmy Butler, as Sixers teammates
Ben Simmons has sat out 54 games this season while dealing with alleged mental health issues. Funny what a change of scenery can do. Following a trade to the Brooklyn Nets, Simmons will travel with his new team to Miami for Saturday night’s game.
That means Simmons will be in the building at FTX Arena for the Heat-Nets showdown at 8 p.m. The three-time All-Star reported to Brooklyn on Friday to undergo a physical and he’s “eager” to get on the court. Will he suit up and play against the Heat? Probably not.
According to Nets general manager Sean Marks, it’s “too early to tell” when Simmons will make his season debut. Marks said they want to get him acclimated to his new teammates and run him through a few practices before throwing him out there.
“We’re not going to put him out on the court where it’s detrimental to one, his health, and two, the camaraderie that can be built within the team,” Marks said, via Forbes. “We gotta get him a few practices first and just see where he is physically, and go from there.”
New digits 👀
The latest Heat news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Heat newsletter here!
Sixers, Nets New Favorites in Eastern Conference?
The blockbuster trade that swapped Simmons for James Harden had a lot of people restructuring the power rankings in the Eastern Conference. The Philadelphia 76ers might be the team to beat with Harden and Joel Embiid running pick-and-rolls at will. Or maybe Simmons’ presence makes the Brooklyn Nets unstoppable thanks to his defensive prowess and ball-handling skills. It seems as if everyone forgot that all roads go through Miami.
The Nets are trading James Harden to the Sixers in a deal for Ben Simmons, per @ShamsCharania @NBAonTNT
The Heat still own the best record in the Eastern Conference at 36-20. And “continuity” might be their biggest advantage come playoff time, according to the Sun-Sentinel’s Ira Winderman.
“It’s not as if Simmons is going to offer much in scoring support to Kevin Durant,” Winderman wrote. “As for the 76ers, if Harden means fewer touches for Joel Embiid, then there will be issues. I remain in favor of continuity, something the Heat and Bucks have, something the Bulls should have time to recapture once they return to health.”
Jimmy Butler Has History with Simmons
Let’s not forget the complicated history between Simmons and Heat star Jimmy Butler. The two were Sixers’ teammates for 55 games in 2019 before Butler decided to bolt Philly for South Beach. His reasons for leaving were multi-faceted and seemed to center on a lack of respect for then-coach Brett Brown.
However, Butler has taken to Instagram to throw subtle shade at Simmons multiple times. He can’t stand mental midgets and Simmons is the poster boy. Butler wanted to be the primary ball-handler on the Sixers, something that Simmons wouldn’t sign off on. He loved playing with Embiid, too. And vice versa.
The Athletic’s Zach Harper wrote: “Butler “didn’t view [Simmons] on par with someone like himself or [Joel] Embiid when it came to mental makeup.”
@BallsackSports Ben Simmons never shot another 3 after Jimmy Butler did this. 🙄
All those factors guided Butler’s decision to jump ship to Miami. And it’s worked out well for him so far as evidenced by that 2020 trip to the NBA Finals. Still, it would be fitting (awkward?) if the first person Simmons sees during his 2022 comeback is none other than Butler. The stare-down would be worth the price of admission.
Jimmy Butler reportedly didn’t think Ben Simmons’ mental makeup was “on par” with him and Joel Embiid.