Nets head coach Steve Nash appreciates returning star Ben Simmons for what he can contribute and says he doesn’t mind if the 6’10” forward never develops a jumper, per Nick Friedell of ESPN.
“Very unique. That’s what makes Ben great. That’s why I don’t care if he ever shoots a jump shot for the Brooklyn Nets,” Nash said. “He’s welcome to, but that is not what makes him special and not what we need. He’s a great complement to our team, and he’s an incredible basketball player because of his versatility.”
Nash is especially excited to see how Simmons meshes with Nets stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving this season, as Friedell relays.
“I think they’ll have a certain element of cohesion out of the gates,” Nash said. “Because they’re all really good basketball players, but hopefully it’s something that evolves. And they can continue to find ways to make each other better. I think that’s the beauty, that they actually fit really well together, but it may take time.”
There’s more out of Brooklyn:
- Friedell tweets that neither Simmons nor Nash anticipate limiting the 26-year-old’s minutes to begin the 2022/23 NBA season, despite the fact that he’s coming off back surgery in the spring. Friedell notes that Nash has been happy with Simmons’ output in practice.
- Irving has high expectations for the ceiling of his talented new teammate, Friedell writes in another ESPN story. “That level of talent, and IQ and motivation and drive — anything’s possible,” Irving said of Simmons. “He has that ‘it’ inside of him so now we just have to slowly develop him where he knows that he can just go out there and be himself. We want him to be his highest potential of himself As a player, be able to accomplish things out on the floor that he wasn’t able to do the last few years. And just have some fun being at peace around him.” Irving himself missed most of the 2021/22 season due to his reticence to get vaccinated against COVID-19 amid vaccine mandate policies for New York City employees. With those policies now relaxed, Irving and Simmons should both see plenty of run in Brooklyn.
This is comical. Let’s pay a player all that money who will pass up a open layup in the playoffs and applaud him. All the hype is a joke. If he was this great the 76ers would have kept him.
I’ve heard this broken record before coach nash. Facts are Simmons won’t shoot, Simmons is a liability because he cannot hit a free throw and must sit at crunch time. Simmons doesn’t want the moment, Simmons wants the money. Simmons shrinks and shrugs. Simmons is what he is a discarded piece of the process.
You don’t sit your best defender at crunch time, period.
Simmons will make free throws.
Will he make them like Curry? Hell no!
But, he’ll be adequate ENOUGH.
Remember… everyone on this site said he’d be a center. Sheesh
Simmons will be a tremendous player this season – exactly the type of player to fit with Kyrie and Durant.
He IS a center. A short one.
6’10 is not short for a center anymore
Ben Simmons will have a great year. Watch and See
“Ben Simmons will” NOT “have a great year…” much less a great career. “Watch and See”
He’s made the NBA first-team all defensive team 2X, he’s led the league in steals, he was the rookie of the year, &he’s made the all-star team 3X. Even if he retired today couldn’t you say he had a great career?
I just hope Ben is healthy. No more excuses. Time to ball out. Nets are dysfunctional. No one knows what they will be next yr. Really don’t care ….
So how’s that Story Line ……
KD n Kyrie choose Nets over Knicks. Knicks can’t get FA to come to NY it shows ??
How’s it Aging now……..
So thankful they never came here.
By midseason, Kyrie will cry like a baby realizing he wont make easy money anymore.
Give me All-NBA defense. 14 7 7 on 50%fg 60%FT 28%3pt, and I would consider Simmons
worth his contract.
28%3PT??? Dream on.
Giannis isn’t a good long range shooter but he’s never afraid of taking them. If Simmons could even hit them at a similar efficiency that’d be okay. It’s all in his head. At the Sixers he hit some 3s from the right corner. That could be his spot. Start with two a game from there
Ben Simmons is going to have a great season!!!!!
Finally someone that knows hoops!
Well done Mr Nash!
Can’t stand all the folks that are nothing but obsessed about the 3 ball, there is a lot more to hoops than just shooting a ridiculous amount of treys!
Nash doesn’t care if he ever puts in enough work to improve his shooting?
Right.
Let’s see if he plays in the exhibition game against the 76ers Monday.
That statement is a subtle way of saying Simmons still hasn’t worked on his jump shot. No way to avoid shooting the ball at the foul line. So, Nash better start caring about his shot – just a little bit.