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Ben Simmons was the centerpiece of the Brooklyn Nets‘ blockbuster trade that sent James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Simmons had worn out his welcome in Philadelphia after his infamous meltdown in the postseason and Daryl Morey was able to ship him out in exchange for Harden.
With a new start in Brooklyn, there was optimism that Simmons could mesh with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving though the trio was never able to come together due to a variety of factors.
Since then, the former number one overall pick has been the butt of numerous jokes because of his poor shooting and unavailability.
Simmons managed to only appear in 42 games during the 2022-23 NBA season due to issues with his knee and back and was eventually shut down.
However, Simmons has spent the offseason rehabbing and he made a promise to Nets fans that he would be ready to go for the upcoming year via Tina Cervasio of FOX.
“I owe it to everybody, the fans and everybody, to get back to where I need to be,” Simmons said. “That’s what I did this summer — to get back. Get ready for a great year. I think it’s going to be exciting, we’re going to have a lot of fun. Get back to Brooklyn basketball.”
Ben Simmons says he owes his fans a bounce back season
“I owe it to everybody, the fans and everybody, to get back to where I need to be. That’s what I did this summer — to get back. Get ready for a great year. I think it’s going to be exciting, we’re going to have a lot of… pic.twitter.com/zhCZlnQLW9
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 18, 2023
Brooklyn was able to make the postseason despite Simmons’ absence, but adding him could make them an intriguing team because of his size and playmaking ability.
When healthy, Simmons is an incredible passer who sees the floor well and is especially devastating in transition when he’s got a spaced-out floor to work with.
Shooting woes aside, the forward has legitimate NBA skills that could make Brooklyn better though his health will always remain a question mark.
Fans surely aren’t holding their breath for Simmons’ return, so it’ll be up to him to prove that can hold up his end of the bargain.
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