Ben Simmons has still not seen the court in an NBA game this season, despite his trade to the Brooklyn Nets having gone through nearly a month ago. Obviously, after not playing competitive basketball for nearly a year, the return was always going to be slow but fans are impatient to see how Simmons will perform in his new environment alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Another interesting storyline has been the Nets vs. 76ers game on March 10th which is set to take place in Philadelphia. The Nets suggested that Simmons would start ramping up his return after this week, so it’s unlikely that he will actually take part in the game but there were also questions about whether he would even travel to the city considering how hostile Philly fans will be towards him.
It seems that whether he plays or not now, Simmons will be with the team when they travel to Philadelphia. Steve Nash has said that even though Ben wasn’t with the team for the start of their road trip against the Boston Celtics, he will be joining the group before it ends in Philadelphia.
Steve Nash said Ben Simmons isn't with the Nets in Boston, but will join them on this road trip, which ends in Philly.
— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) March 6, 2022
Kevin Durant may have returned for the Nets but they still need a 2nd star that can consistently produce, something that Kyrie Irving is unable to do thanks to his continued inability to play in home games for the Nets. The hope is that Simmons can be integrated into the team before the playoffs, which would make a massive difference to how dangerous Brooklyn will be.
The Nets fell below .500 with a loss against the Boston Celtics and will need to pick themselves up and close the season out strong if they want to make more noise in the postseason. And while teams around the league are surely worried about facing them in a series, the Nets need to include Simmons soon and figure out the best version of themselves.
