What was said by him concerning Brooklyn? The head coach…
NBA fans should, in part, be focusing on Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons. Nobody enjoys a good comeback story or an underdog tale more than an NBA player, and this season’s players could make for some incredible Disney productions. That being said, in comparison to Simmons’s preseason play performances thus far, all of the talk coming from him, his camp, and the Nets organization sounds like a propaganda effort.
First and foremost, everyone is aware that preseason is to be treated cautiously. Prospects are given a lot of playing time in rotations; expected starters get little time off, and winning and stats are not prioritized. Instead, the emphasis is on giving front office staff and coaches the freedom to choose the roster prior to the start of the regular season. However, it is impossible to undervalue the significance of even a few minutes in preseason play for a player with as much missed as Simmons has.
Naturally, throughout the summer, the Nets’ front office and Simmons’ camp both generated a lot of hype. It’s reasonable to assume that part of the Nets’ efforts were directed toward possibly finding the struggling point guard a trade partner. After starting his career as a consistent All-Star, his absence—due to injuries and mental health issues—has become more newsworthy than his presence.He was a far cry from that All-Star player when he eventually got back on the court last season, averaging just 6.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game.
Simmons recently said, “I’m going to be better than I was,” to The New York Post. “I just have to show up, work hard, put in a lot of effort, and guide this team in the proper direction. Thus, it attends to all the details while everything else takes care of itself.
The Nets, who plan to pay him slightly less than $38 million this season and slightly more than $40 million in 2024–25, are undoubtedly hoping for that. Since assembling what they believed would be a competitive era featuring James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant, the team has seen many ups and downs. Faster than a Crumbl cookie departing the Nets with Simmons as a solace prize, that experiment came tumbling down.
Though there hasn’t been much of a prize thus far, Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn is optimistic.
“It all begins with the way he has positioned his body to function. He has prepared himself for play by putting in the necessary work behind closed doors. And that’s good for your mental health, too,” Vaughn told The Post. “He’s able to communicate with his teammates in a pretty good place. It’s all about taking the win. He can influence the game in a number of ways, and the goal is to position us to win ball games.
To what extent will the Nets succeed this season? That is certainly debatable. The Eastern Conference got even tougher from the top down, so it’s difficult to see them contending for a postseason berth above the play-in round. However, it’s not out of the question that the Nets, maybe with a change at the front court, could prove to be one of the inspirational tales of the new season if Simmons can deliver it every night and regain his All-Star form.
Bill Ingram is the executive editor of The Hardwood Huddle, a soon-to-be launched website by the Back Sports Page creators. Bill has spent more than 20 years covering the NBA.
