Ben Simmons

New York Notes: Rose, Quickley, Simmons, Warren

October 22nd, 2022 at 6:23pm CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks guard Derrick Rose hasn’t been happy with his performance to start the season, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Playing for the first time since December because of multiple ankle surgeries, Rose scored just four points in the season opener, but followed that with 13 points and six assists in Friday’s win over the Pistons.

“This too shall pass. This is probably the worst you see me play,” Rose said. “I don’t play pickup. I’m feeling out the games, trying not to mess up the game by being out there and being too aggressive. Just feeling out who’s out there and who is with me.”

Before the ankle issues, Rose was the team’s most reliable point guard, even though he was used primarily as a reserve. Free agent addition Jalen Brunson has solidified that position, so Rose has averaged just 14 minutes per night in his first two games.

“I’m letting (coach Tom Thibodeau) dictate that. I didn’t talk to him at all about it,” Rose said when asked about his playing time. “My job is to just be vocal and try to express what I see on the court. As far as minutes, I don’t worry about it because of the saying, ‘If you stay ready, you don’t got to get ready.’ That’s my mindset.”

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Immanuel Quickley provided some scoring punch off the bench Friday with a team-high 20 points, Botte notes in a separate story. The Knicks‘ third-year guard remained aggressive after going scoreless in Wednesday’s opener. “It was great to see him play like that. I thought he and the rest of the bench did a terrific job. They gave us a big, big lift,” Thibodeau said. “I love when he shoots. I feel every time he shoots, particularly his threes, I think they’re all going in. He puts a lot of pressure on the defense.”
Nets coach Steve Nash admits that Ben Simmons has been “rusty” after not playing for 16 months, but he believes patience is the best approach, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Simmons hasn’t been looking for his shot so far and has just 10 total points in the first two games.
T.J. Warren has a medical connection with the Nets that influenced his decision in free agency, Lewis tweets. The team’s orthopedist, Dr. Martin O’Malley, performed the surgery on Warren’s foot. “There’s definitely a comfort level O’Malley being team doctor here; he’s seen everything since Day 1,” Warren said. “So it gave me a peace of mind that he’s in my corner here.”

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Vonleh, Simmons, Irving

October 20th, 2022 at 5:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers lost to the Celtics in their opener but they see a long playoff run in their future, Tim Bontemps of ESPN writes. They believe they have more talent around superstar Joel Embiid than ever before, due to the front office’s moves this offseason.

“There’s no weak links around the horn,” said P.J. Tucker, the Sixers’ top free agent acquisition. “You want to [pick on] somebody? Go ahead. We got everybody.”

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Due to Robert Williams‘ knee issues, Noah Vonleh has become a key member of the Celtics‘ frontcourt for the time being. As Jay King of The Athletic notes, Vonleh is just six months removed from a stint in China. The opportunity to play in the NBA again has made Vonleh more appreciative of his current status. “It made me even hungrier,” he said. “I feel like I’ve got a pretty good work ethic, but being out of there I was just wondering why and questioning certain things. But it just made me more motivated and made me work a lot harder.” Vonleh has a one-year, non-guaranteed veteran’s minimum contract with Boston.
The stat line for Ben Simmons in his return to action after a season off was unimpressive. He posted four points, five rebounds and five assists before fouling out in 23 minutes. Nets head coach Steve Nash attributes that performance to the long layoff, Nick Friedell of ESPN tweets. “I just think he’s rusty. The guy hasn’t played in over a year,” Nash said. “He’s still getting used to referees, defense, offense. This is a process for Ben … He’s shown obviously glimpses of the player we know he is and can be, but it’s not easy. We’re here to support him.”
Kevin Durant‘s trade request during the summer turned out to be a test and Kyrie Irving believes the Nets are better for it, he told Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. “When Kev made that request, I feel like we got better,” Irving said. “Afterwards. Not initially, but now where we are now, I feel like we can honestly say we got better, with the principles that are needed for success. Without going through some test in the summertime or during the season, we wouldn’t be able to be as close and bonded as we are now.”

Atlantic Notes: Simmons, Sixers, House, Knicks

October 14th, 2022 at 9:58am CST by Arthur Hill

In an interview with Nick Friedell of ESPN, Ben Simmons said it felt “surreal” to be back on the court with the Nets this preseason after 16 months away from the game. After dealing with both physical and mental health issues, Simmons said he finally got to return to a place where he’s “comfortable.”

Simmons addressed several topics in the discussion, including the negative public perception of him, his future in Brooklyn and everything that went wrong with the Sixers. He said he’s looking forward to his first game in front of Philadelphia fans on November 22.

“I can’t wait to go there, yeah. But for me, everything’s an experience and a learning situation,” Simmons said. “So for me I’m able to learn something that I’ve never been through before. I’ve never been traded and played against a team that I got traded from. (Kevin Durant) has, (Kyrie Irving) has, a lot of guys have, but I’ve never been in that situation so — you have to go through it. Ky went back to Boston, and he didn’t play well, but it’s a lot. We’re people, too. We want to go out there and prove everyone wrong.”

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Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey acquired four former Rockets players during the offseason, but the one-time Houston general manager says he didn’t deliberately try to put the team back together, per Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Morey signed P.J. Tucker, Danuel House and Montrezl Harrell and traded for De’Anthony Melton, reuniting them with ex-Rockets star James Harden. “If you have had a player, whether it be with [coach Doc Rivers] or myself, it can lower the risk,” Morey said. “Because you don’t really know a player until you’ve worked directly with them on your team. So I do think there’s an information advantage when you’ve worked with them before. … It all sort of fell, and it’s created a pretty interesting and, I think, positive dynamic because there is a lot of familiarity, both with the players together and also the coaching staff.”
After playing for three teams last season, House knows what he needs to do to earn consistent minutes with the Sixers. “My role is just to be energy,” he said (video link). “Be the guy to make stuff happen. Make plays happen, make a shot, knock down a shot, get a rebound, pass the ball, set the play up, run the play, set the screen, whatever the team needs pretty much. I’m just here to give away myself. Like I said earlier, I’m not really worried about accolades. As long as we win, I feel like that’s my biggest accolade.”
Peter Botte of The New York Post (subscription required) identifies Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson and Derrick Rose as the most pivotal players for the Knicks‘ upcoming season. Botte also notes this will be an important year for coach Tom Thibodeau and team president Leon Rose after last year’s disappointment.

Nets Notes: Simmons, Durant, Harris

October 12th, 2022 at 8:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

Ben Simmons understands that it doesn’t take much for him to become a target on social media, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN. The latest example was a video of an airball he shot Sunday during the Nets‘ annual outdoor practice at Brooklyn Bridge Park.

“Meanwhile, like 10 guys airballed multiple shots,” Simmons told Friedell. “So it’s like people will find one clip and try to make that everything — like Ben can’t do (this or that). Like come on man, you think I’m just airballing every shot? It’s not true. But it comes with it, and you got to have tough skin and I realize that, but nah, I can’t take everything personally. It’s social media.”

Simmons’ shooting woes with the Sixers, especially from the foul line, made him a target for derision from Philadelphia fans long before his public battle with the team. He hopes to change the narrative about his game this season, and he believes he’s in a more uplifting environment.

“I got support from all these guys, the coaching staff, the organization, so it’s up to me to go out there to do my job now and work. But you know, (Kevin Durant), (Kyrie Irving) have been great to me. Royce (O’Neale) has been phenomenal. It feels like home. It feels normal to be here and come to work. Besides that, we just need to put that work in and build some chemistry.”

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The team is willing to be patient as Simmons works his way back from a 16-month absence, Friedell adds in a separate story. Simmons had a combined nine assists and eight turnovers in his first two preseason games, and he’s been reluctant to shoot from any sort of distance. “I think for Ben a lot of it is not just the understanding, it’s the reps,” coach Steve Nash said. “He hasn’t played for a long time. He’s coming off of back surgery, so I think there’s some periods of indecision and confidence that he has to gain from playing. All of us do. We can’t take that much time off, join a new group and just figure it out Day 1, so he needs time.”
Durant appeared to get worn down last season and the Nets are hoping to reduce his workload, according to Ethan Sears of The New York Post. Durant averaged 37.2 minutes per game, which was the most he’s played since 2013/14. “Every coach that I play for wants to keep my minutes down,” he said. “But when the game’s tight or you’re not playing well, you’re not gonna look over and say, ‘Well, I wanna keep his minutes down tonight.’ He’s gonna throw me in the game. We’re playing well, my minutes will be down. If we’re not, I’ll play more.”
Foot soreness has limited Joe Harris to one preseason game, but he’s optimistic that he’ll be ready for the season opener, Friedell tweets.

Nets Notes: Toughness, Simmons, Marks, Durant, Harris

October 9th, 2022 at 8:55am CST by Arthur Hill

Thursday’s 29-point loss to the Heat brought back a familiar concern that the Nets might not have enough toughness to succeed against the NBA’s best teams, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. It’s a point that was raised recently by free agent addition Markieff Morris, who played for Miami last season and said Heat players considered Brooklyn to be “soft.”

Getting tougher with opponents was stressed during this week’s film sessions, and Saturday’s practice ran noticeably longer than usual, Lewis adds. The Nets have assembled a talented roster and they don’t want a perceived lack of grit to be their downfall.

“Yeah, the low-hanging fruit that we could honestly all agree on is sometimes in possessions we’re not playing hard enough,” Kyrie Irving said. “You saw it against Miami the other night. They were really physical, and we don’t want that to be our stigma or M.O. in the league. … The most physical teams usually win ballgames, especially down the stretch. So we’ve got to be tougher. Like Markieff said, we’ve got to be comfortable with being uncomfortable at times. We’re going to mess up things, but we don’t want it to carry over to the next possession. That’s what our [message] has been in practice: on to the next play. Regardless what the ref’s doing [or] our opponent is doing, we want to focus on us.”

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After not playing for 16 months, Ben Simmons knows it will take a while to get comfortable again on the court, Lewis adds in a separate story. The Nets want Simmons to attack the basket more frequently, but he took just three shots against the Heat while committing six turnovers. Still, he remains confident that he’ll work things out. “Obviously, having back surgery and rehabbing, there’s a lot of things that physically I want to do that I’m not doing right now: getting to the rim, getting hit, things like that, and hitting other people,” Simmons said. “But that’s all going to come. We’ve got time. So in due time, it’ll come.”
General manager Sean Marks discussed Kevin Durant‘s offseason trade demand with Alex Chapman of the New Zealand-based NewsHub, explaining that none of Durant’s suitors was willing to offer enough to get a deal done. “I think, at the end of the day, other teams realized they don’t have the assets to give up to acquire arguably the top one-two-three player in the world, who’s on a contract for four years,” Marks said. “If they’d had to give away their treasure chest, their goals may be reduced.”
Foot soreness prevented Joe Harris from playing against Miami, according to a NetsDaily story. The team is being cautious with Harris, who has undergone two ankle surgeries over the past year.

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Simmons, Korkmaz, J. Jackson

October 7th, 2022 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets are hoping to move past a chaotic offseason, but they looked completely out of sync in Thursday’s 29-point loss to the Heat, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “I didn’t like anything,” Kevin Durant said after Brooklyn committed 26 turnovers while shooting 39.2% from the field and 5-of-28 from three-point range. Coach Steve Nash agreed, saying a lot of improvement is needed before the regular season begins.

“We were second best in every category,” Nash said. “The mentality Miami brought, as we know they play physical, they’re going to get into you, and we allowed them to win that battle. All those little battles: Space, time, poise, screening, not screening, getting cut, no vision, not boxing out, not getting loose balls. You can go down the list, but really it starts with the mentality. They showed it and we’ve got to try to match that going forward.”

Ben Simmons struggled with playmaking duties in his second game after sitting out all of last season. Nash wants him to be more aggressive in attacking the basket, particularly against smaller defenders, but he managed just four points and four assists Thursday while turning the ball over six times.

“Get them out of the way now. Gotta get them out now. So that’s something I can be conscious of it and fix that I’m not too worried about that. I mean, it’s just the second game back in like a year,” Simmons said. “… I can’t be turning the ball over. I’m the point guard, so I’ve got to take responsibility in terms of that. But I’d rather figure out my angles and time the passes now and then in the regular season.”

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The Nets were on the brink of disaster this summer, but they still haven’t gone over the edge, John Hollinger of the Athletic states in his preview of the team. Although there was high drama involving Durant and Kyrie Irving, Hollinger points out that Brooklyn didn’t make an offseason roster move involving anyone earning more than $10MM.
Sixers guard Furkan Korkmaz blames nerve damage in his right arm for what he calls a “horrible” 2021/22 season, per Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The injury affected his shot and Korkmaz fell out of the team’s rotation after hitting a career-low 28.9% on three-pointers. “I want to show the people again what I’m capable of,” he said. “Because, at the end of the day, whatever you do, people remember the end (of the season).”
After signing a non-guaranteed deal with the Raptors this summer, Josh Jackson is making a strong bid for a roster spot, according to Doug Smith of The Toronto Star.

Simmons, Kawhi, Murray, MPJ Returned To Action On Monday

October 4th, 2022 at 10:07am CST by Luke Adams

Nets guard Ben Simmons, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, and Nuggets stars Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. all made their preseason debuts on Monday, returning to an NBA court for the first time in 2022.

Simmons missed all of the 2021/22 season due to a holdout, mental health issues, and back problems; Leonard and Murray sat out the season while recovering from ACL tears; and Porter was shut down due to a back injury last November after playing in just nine games.

In addition to being Simmons’ first game in 470 days, it was also the first time he has suited up for his new team since being traded from Philadelphia to Brooklyn. Simmons played 19 minutes against his old team, and while the Sixers beat the Nets by 19 points, the former No. 1 overall pick said he felt “amazing” being back on the court, per Nick Friedell of ESPN.

“I’m grateful just to be able to step on that floor,” Simmons said after scoring six points and dishing five assists in 19 minutes. “Step on an NBA floor again. I had a lot of fun out there.”

Leonard, meanwhile, was playing for the first time since being injured in the second round of the playoffs against Utah in June of 2021. He had 11 points and four rebounds in a victory over Portland in Seattle, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. While Leonard acknowledged that he probably won’t be playing 35-plus minutes out of the gate this season, he – like Simmons – said he was more excited than nervous to get back on the court.

“It was great,” Leonard said. “Just being able to put all that hard work that I did throughout the, 14, 16 months, just able to put it to (the) test and playing against NBA talent, it was good. Just being out there with the guys and talking, I missed it. It was a great experience for me.”

As for Murray, he called his return vs. Oklahoma City – his first game in 539 days – “a lot of fun” and told reporters that he “felt like a rookie out there” (Twitter links via Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports and Mike Singer of The Denver Post). He and Porter will need more time to find their rhythm, but both players came out of their preseason debuts feeling good, Singer writes in a full story for The Denver Post (subscription required).

While Simmons, Leonard, Murray, and Porter made their long-awaited returns on Monday, Pelicans forward Zion Williamson is poised to do so on Tuesday after missing the entire 2021/22 season due to a broken foot. Kevin Durant said after the Nets’ loss on Monday that having all these stars healthy again is great news for the NBA.

“Being away for a year, you get a lot of anxiety not playing,” Durant said, per Friedell. “I know I did. Just anxious to see how I’m playing, where I’m going to play, what my role is on the team. But as a fan of the game, Kawhi being back is great for basketball, Jamal Murray being back is great for basketball, all the guys that have been out injured and being able to play again, it’s a great feeling seeing them out there.”

Sixers Notes: Harden, Rivers, Simmons, Tucker

October 3rd, 2022 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

James Harden had encouraging news for Sixers fans as the team wrapped up its training camp, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Harden put up decent numbers after being acquired from the Nets in February, but he was obviously lacking the explosiveness that made him a perennial MVP candidate in Houston. Harden, who blamed a hamstring injury for slowing him down last season, responded, “It’s getting there” when asked about his current condition.

“We’re playing with a full training camp,” he said. “So there’s times and periods that you have dead legs or rough legs. But those are the times when you’ve just got to push through it, those character things like that.”

The Sixers will need a return of vintage Harden to be contenders in a rugged Eastern Conference. He welcomes the opportunity of a full preseason to learn the team’s system after having a crash course in 21 games after the trade. Harden is accomplished as both a scorer and passer, and he’s figuring out the best ways to bring both skills to the Sixers.

“But now, it’s a little bit more different,” he said. “Different because of the time (this summer) I had off to prepare and get my mind and my body right. And it’s just an opportunity with the new people that we have. And, honestly, just the communication with myself and (coach Doc Rivers) and Joel (Embiid) to know when it’s time for me to be aggressive and for Joel to be aggressive.”

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Rivers had little to say about Ben Simmons, who is expected to make his Nets debut tonight in a preseason game against the Sixers, Pompey states in a separate story. Simmons hasn’t played since Philadelphia was eliminated in the 2021 playoffs, and he had a bitter public battle with the organization before being traded to Brooklyn. “We’re focused on the guys that want to be a Philadelphia 76er,” Rivers said when asked about facing Simmons. “We’re not going to focus on anyone that doesn’t want to be one.”
Rivers plans to hold out at least three of his starters for tonight’s game, Pompey adds in another piece.
One of the focuses in training camp was becoming more aggressive defensively, per Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Joel Embiid has said he wants the Sixers to be the league’s best defensive team, and the offseason additions of P.J. Tucker, De’Anthony Melton, Montrezl Harrell and Danuel House were all made with defense in mind. “I know what it takes to get it done on a nightly basis in the league [and] playoffs,” Tucker said. “It’s tough and it comes down, a lot of times, to communication when plays break down on defense. You’ve got to make stuff happen, and it’s by communication. … You set those expectations right now in the preseason.”

New York Notes: Randle, Quickley, Simmons, Curry

October 2nd, 2022 at 3:59pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After a 2021/22 regression from his lone All-NBA Second Team appearance the year before, Knicks power forward Julius Randle is amenable to an increased offensive pace and fewer touches, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Bondy notes that the club’s pace ranked 30th during head coach Tom Thibodeau‘s first season in New York and 29th in 2021/22.

“It’s just the way the game is going,” Randle said of the speed adjustment. “There are so many more possessions, high-scoring games. So, it’s just the way the league is going and an adjustment that everybody has to make.”

Bondy adds that the 27-year-old shed some pounds during the offseason in service of an anticipated uptick in pace this year.

“Because of the strength of the club, we can use him in different ways,” Thibodeau said. “He doesn’t always have to have the ball. He can play off the ball [as a secondary playmaker in transition].”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Third-year Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley is hoping to raise his field goal shooting percentage in 2022/23, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. To do that, Quickley has been fleshing his mid-range game over the summer. “I think it will help my field-goal percentage a lot,” the 6’3″ guard out of Kentucky said. “Just being able to do everything when I’m on the floor is a versatility thing I like for myself.” For his career, the 23-year-old is a 39.3% shooter.
Nets forward Ben Simmons underwent cryotherapy sessions as he rehabilitated his surgically-repaired back during the 2022 offseason, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscriber-only link). “I’ve put myself in position,” Simmons said of his development this summer. “I’ve been working on myself this past year to get back on the floor and play at a high level… I deserve to take this opportunity to get back on the court, so I’m excited to team up with these guys, these coaches.”
Nets shooting guard Seth Curry has yet to engage in 5-on-5 play with Brooklyn as he continues to work his way back from a May left ankle surgery, reports Nick Friedell of ESPN (Twitter link). Curry indicates that he is continuing to feel comfortable during individual workouts. Friedell adds that head coach Steve Nash remains hopeful that Curry can round into form in time to play in the team’s final preseason game next week.

Nets Notes: Mills, Warren, Claxton, Simmons

October 2nd, 2022 at 10:49am CST by Arthur Hill

As the Nets try to move past a season of distractions and a summer filled with chaos, Patty Mills already senses a “night and day different feeling,” according to Peter Botte of The New York Post. The 14-year veteran won a title with the Spurs early in his career and understands the importance of a strong team culture.

“Look, I believe in all of that stuff,” Mills said. “I think that it’s always been a part of who I am and just enjoying being around teammates and getting to know them a lot more. Maybe that comes from my Australian background on the Australian teams, but then to see it at a professional, elite level in San Antonio kind of took that to a whole other level. But trying to get to be the last team standing or just trying to do everything possible to do that, it starts with those relationships.”

Mills was a free agent over the summer and could have moved on, but he opted to re-sign with Brooklyn for two more years. In addition to his role in shaping the culture, Mills is an accomplished shooter off the bench who can play either guard position.

“He’s a successful piece, he knows what it takes to be in an organization, he knows what it’s like to build trust and also do it at the highest level,” Kyrie Irving said. “You need a guy like Patty Mills just simply to have the locker room synergized, but he also can give you minutes and quality play and can think out there for the young guys, as well as give us some veteran leadership.”

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T.J. Warren is slowly making progress as he attempts to return from foot issues that caused him to miss almost two full seasons, Botte adds. The Nets don’t expect him to start playing before November. Coach Steve Nash said Warren is “doing some shooting” and “a little bit more movement the last two weeks than he was prior.”
The departure of veteran big men has given Nic Claxton a chance to move into a starting role, Botte writes in a separate story. Claxton tried to learn something from each of his former All-Star teammates, a list that includes Andre Drummond, Blake Griffin, LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre Jordan and Paul Millsap. “I just took bits and pieces from everybody’s game,” Claxton said. “Especially the veterans, I listened to them, and now I’m ready to just show my own self and do my own thing. I feel a lot better, just mentally and physically. I feel a lot more confident now going into the preseason and just ready to get everything started.”
Ben Simmons‘ treatments for his back problems included cryotherapy sessions last season, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Cryogenic therapy exposes the body to extreme cold for a short time to relieve pain and inflammation.

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