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Getty Ben Simmons (L) and Royce O’Neale of the Brooklyn Nets attend a game between the Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2022 NBA Summer League
The Brooklyn Nets acquired All-Star forward Ben Simmons in a blockbuster trade that rocked the NBA landscape at last season’s trade deadline. The Philadelphia 76ers traded the former Defensive Player of the Year finalist in exchange for All-Star James Harden, who had worried about the Nets’ future.
Simmons was expected to make his debut at some point last season, but was expected to go through a build-up period as he hasn’t played an NBA game since last June. But unfortunately, a push in the back prevented him from making his Nets debut in 2022.
After undergoing offseason surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back, Simmons expects to be ready for training camp. But many wonder what he will be like after not playing an NBA game for over a calendar year. Nets guard Seth Curry says he thinks Simmons still has the skills to be unstoppable.
“He’s multiple stars right now for a reason,” Curry told Australian newspaper Herald Sun by NetsDaily.
“If he can add knocked free throws to a higher clip, that will allow him to be unstoppable once he gets his head down. »
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Curry: Simmons doesn’t need to have Jumpshot
Simmons has only been in the league for a short time and is already a multiple-time All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year finalist. There aren’t many flaws in his game, but anyone who’s seen Simmons play can see that his reluctance to shoot often gets in the way of his team’s offensive spacing.
But Curry, who was Simmons’ teammate in Philadelphia and Brooklyn, says he doesn’t need a jump shot to be an offensive threat.
I don’t think he needs a jump shot,” Curry added. “He just has to do what he does best, which is defending, rebounding, pushing the ball, making plays for others and attacking the rim. “When you have the size and the talent like him, which takes not one but two and sometimes three guys to stop him from reaching the rim, that’s a lot in itself. »
Joel Embiid on Simmons leaving: No hard feelings
The friction between Simmons and the Sixers may have started after a Game 7 loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 playoffs.
Simmons let a wide-opening lay-up pass on a crucial possession in the 4th quarter, which ultimately decided the game. In the post-game interview, Embiid appeared to call out Simmons when asked about the turning point in that game, responding, “We had an open shot and we made a free throw. »
However, the Sixers star says he has no animosity towards Simmons.
“I have no hard feelings,” Embiid said after Game 7 via Sports Illustrated.
“I have no hatred towards him. I wouldn’t mind being friends. It is only me. I do not care. Frankly. I respect the decision he made. I think it’s unfortunate what happened, but for me it’s nonsense.
The extent of the Nets’ success will heavily depend on Ben Simmons’ availability. After undergoing corrective back surgery this summer, it will be interesting to see if he is ready for training camp.
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