The Brooklyn Nets acquisition of Ben Simmons is the biggest active wildcard in the Eastern Conference. Everyone knows of the offensive greatness that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving bring to a game, but the Nets’ defensive weaknesses make them struggle against most opponents, something that would be amplified in the playoffs.
Simmons is a key defensive player that can guard all five positions on the court and can facilitate the offense for Kyrie and KD to get better looks. However, this only happens if we see the version of Ben that we got accustomed to seeing in Philadelphia.
It seems if Simmons debuts this season, he will be playing rusty basis what Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash had to say about his impending availability
Steve Nash said he’s “very hopeful” that Ben Simmons will play this regular season. #nets
— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) March 15, 2022
In a post-game scrum, Nash added this about Simmons integration into the Nets’ play-style.
“I think he has a pretty good understanding,” Nash said, via ESPN. “Now, has his focus been on learning what we’re doing? No, it’s been on getting better. We’ve had him around, we want him to learn, but there’s a lot going on when you’re desperately trying to fight to get on the court… I don’t expect him to be totally dialed in on what we’re doing because part of that is also feel, getting out there with your teammates, seeing how it fits. I think he’ll be a perfect fit for our guys. But some of that stuff is also getting out there and doing it, learning on the fly, rather than reading it off the notes.”
This season may not be the one Nets fans look to for their coronation. However, with Simmons signed long-term and having an off-season to fully integrate himself into the system, the Nets may have a better chance next season with their new Big Three.
With the talent at their disposal, the Nets will be a very dangerous matchup for the top-seeds in the East. It will be interesting to see if just talent can beat the likes of the Milwaukee Bucks or the Miami Heat in the first round.
