Throughout the offseason, there have been indications that Nets guard Ben Simmons has overcome the physical issues that cut short his 2022/23 season and that he’ll be healthy and ready to go when training camp opens.
Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks started the speculation at his end-of-season press conference after the team was eliminated from the playoffs in April. Marks told reporters that Simmons didn’t appear to need another back surgery and would likely be fully healthy by the start of September.
Simmons got some social media buzz in June when he posted workout photos on Instagram, and a month later, Marc J. Spears of Andscape shared a quote from a source who said Simmons is “as healthy as he has ever been since his last year in Philly.” A day later, Ian Begley of SNY.tv reported that Simmons had fully completed rehab following a back nerve impingement that sidelined him for the last six weeks of the season.
In early August, teammate Cameron Johnson said in an interview that he expects Simmons to be “if not full form, pretty close to it.” He added that he had recently talked to Simmons and believes he’s in “a good place.”
A healthy Simmons would obviously make a huge difference for the Nets, who are trying to establish a new identity after trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in February. Johnson, Mikal Bridges and Nic Claxton are the foundation of the team, and Simmons could turn them into a legitimate contender if he becomes anything close to the All-Star that he was in Philadelphia.
Of course, there are caveats. Simmons decided not to join the Australian team for the World Cup after raising the possibility in May. He came to an agreement with the national team that he would skip the tournament while continuing to prepare for the upcoming NBA season while leaving open the possibility of playing in the 2024 Olympics.
Anyone who has followed the Nets since Simmons was acquired in February of 2022 knows there have been other encouraging health reports, which are eventually followed by setbacks.
Simmons is owed $37.9MM for the upcoming season and $40.3MM for 2024/25. The contract is considered among the worst in the league, but only because Simmons hasn’t been able to play. It becomes much more reasonable — and possibly even tradable — if he gets to be healthy and productive again.
We want to know what you think. Will Simmons be able to get back to normal after two straight seasons marred by injuries and off-court issues, or is the All-Star version of Simmons gone forever? Please leave your comments in the space below.
I wish I had the stats in front of me to answer this.
If you look at history of players who have gone from All-Star level to 2 or more years of missed time and/or below League average performance… what percentage of those players return to all-star level?
Not saying it can’t happen. Just wondering how often it does.
Simmons is done! IMO he’s is the paradigm of what happens when you coddle and massage the ever shrinking ego of today’s athlete. If god forbid you have a criticism of a players game, or his performance, its whine waaa boohoo!
Let’s get MEN back out there!!!!
He’d be so disappointed to learn there are guys with sub-80 IQs critiquing his manhood on the internet.
Go figure some right winger is the one saying this toxicity. Literally no reason you had to bring manhood into this like it’s 1957.
What happened in 1957?
You obviously mean 1957 BC.
Simmons doesn’t have mental health issues he has mental weakness issues.
says Bloodfarts
I personally hope I see Ben back to his Philly form. That Brooklyn team would be fun to watch. I’m rooting for the guy.
Unpopular opinion, and I’m not a fan of his, but I think he’s going to have a comeback season.
Eh, I always thought that Simmons was overrated but I did take his side when he said he had mental health issues. I never really saw the hype, so for me this is a loaded question. Do I think Simmons is capable of getting back to where he was? Yes. Was he truly an or can be be an All Star caliber level player. No.
Interesting that the other NBA players voted him as an all star…yet you say he was not truly the caliber to be one…yeah this is a good take…I mean you did play against him after all.
They probably voted for him so he wouldn’t cry.
Not a fighter. A complainer. As a Nets fan, I don’t want him on the team. Too expensive and a liability.
I think the defense will come back. He never really showed any issues with that other than the obvious injury ones. But as long as he sucks at free throws, he’s going to be in his own head too much on offense. I don’t think it matters whether or not he has a jumper; he needs to be able to attack the basket and be unafraid of contact, and without a free throw shot, he’ll never be able to be comfortable with it.
Yes here’s where the coddled concept comes in. Unlike other players coming into the league no one has challenged Ben to fix that shot. Many many guys have changed their form at the request of their team to improve their shooting. Why hasn’t Ben?
Some players can’t. Shaq, Drummond, Gary Payton (never really got out of the low 70’s), Rod Strickland (same story). LeBron has never shown much improvement in that one area, regardless of how great he is at everything else. Russel Westbrook has even been getting worse as his career has gone on. And since Simmons is more of a PF than a traditional point guard body-wise, he has the height and mass problems with shots working against him. Plenty of guys, even all-stars, struggled with their free throws for their entire career. It’s that one weird area where some guys just seem to have an abject blind spot. And Simmons did improve on defense and with limiting bad passes as he got older in Philly. He’s never really improved on his own offense at all, though.
Not true, he was challenged. I remember 2 off seasons about how he was working with a shooting coach. He then didn’t want the Sixers help and decided to use his brother as a shooting coach. That didn’t work out either. Ben is too stubborn to learn. So glad the Sixers got rid of him. Such a baby. One made up excuse after excuse with that guy. Just collecting checks at this point.
I’m thinking that he will have some sort of setback and only play 25-30 games this season.
He has no heart!
Ben can come back and be Ben, but he needs the right team around him. He simply must be the ball-dominant player, and can’t play off the ball at all. Cam Johnson is exactly the right teammate for him, but Dinwiddie and Bridges aren’t.
He can get back to where he was defensively, but the question is whether the Nets offense will be designed in such a way that he’s even playable.
Normal? For him, sure. But he still would have to find a way to play as a non-C/non-shooter, on the offensive end. With Claxton and Dinwiddie on the floor that could be a challenge. He needs to own that. As a child of the Process, he’s not used to owning much of anything.
Ben doesn’t want to be the “old Ben”. Too much work for him.
In what world is a healthy Simmons, Bridges, Johnson and Claxton a “contender”?!? Contender for what? This is the Eastern Conference w/ the Cs, Bucks, Cavs, Heat etc. The only thing the Nets will contend for is a 1st round exit
Being in good physical condition and health and wanting to play are entirely different things, and I’d guess that will be the deciding factor. Matters not how healthy he is… If he doesn’t have the mindset and/or desire to work hard so he can play better, it never happens. Then again, the same can be said for pretty much anyone, of course, but Simmons’ reputation precedes him.
No chance…
Back injuries will change anyone…
Simmons might find a new role for himself but he’ll never be what he once was…
The real question with Ben Simmons in Brooklyn is this. Will he play with Spencer Dinwiddie or in his place. More importantly will he play point guard or some form of point forward. If used right he could transform the team. Simmons and Claxton could be the Net’s version of Allen and Mobley. The Nets have a veritable army of wings. Simmons can play any spot 1 through 4 and make an impact. Both on defense and running a 2nd point or primary one. He probably isn’t going to start becoming a s44smarksman or start hitting over 70 percent on free throws. He could however score 15 to 20 a game cutting to the basket for dunks and floaters. It is more likely he’ll score 10-15 . I don’t know if he will make a full recovery or even be given the opportunity to. A lot will depend on the coaching. 3 years ago he seemed on route to the Hall of Fame. Now if he can be a useful player in a team’s rotation it will be a victory.