Ben Simmons has had a pretty wacky year. In the aftermath of a brutal defeat in the playoffs, the young swingman decided he was done with the 76ers and cut all ties with the team until they finally traded him before the deadline.
He hasn’t played a single game for a full season now, and there is no question that he’ll have some struggles early on as he tries to make his return — as Nets guard Seth Curry has already pointed out.
“There are always challenges. Foremost, he has missed a whole season. It is going to be a challenge getting his rhythm back playing basketball,” Curry said on the challenges of Simmons’ return. “I don’t know specifically what he has been through, mentally – that’s hard for me to comment on – but having that year off, having that time off, of competing and playing five-on-five basketball is going to be just as hard … just taking some time and getting re-acclimated to playing high-level basketball, but he is a special talent, has all the skills. The Nets need him on the floor.”
Curry also talked about Ben’s jumper and what kind of things he needs to add to his game to be effective on the court. According to Seth, Ben doesn’t need to be a super from range to be valuable.
He’s just got to do the things that he does best.
“I don’t think he needs a jump shot. He’s just got to do what he does best – which is defend, rebound, push the ball, make plays for other people and attack the rim. When you’ve got the size and talent like him, who takes not one but two and sometimes three guys to stop him getting to the rim, that is a lot in itself,” Curry said, per The Australian. “He’s a multiple [time] All-Star right now for a reason. If he can add knocking down free throws at a higher clip, it’s going to allow him to be unstoppable once he puts his head down.”
It’s easy to forget who Simmons was before all the drama. At one point, he was a bona fide All-Star who was also one of the best defenders and playmakers in the league. His finishing ability allowed him to score points as well, despite long-distance shooting struggles.
Adding a jumper to his arsenal would certainly improve his game by a pretty large margin. But even if his woes continue, he can be effective as he is simply by producing in other ways.
