Nets’ Ben Simmons, excited for ‘fresh start,’ says he’s ready to get to the rim and get to the line

NEW YORK — Ben Simmons took phase in his 2nd media day as a member of the Brooklyn Nets on Monday. This time, neither he nor any of his teammates fielded questions on rescinded business requests, their trainer’s task safety or championship expectancies. Now that the best superteam on the town is the New York Liberty, there is not a lot noise round the Nets.

“I think that it’s a fresh start for everybody,” Simmons mentioned. “Last season, we had a lot of different things going on.”

Simmons sounded in a similar fashion certain this time remaining yr, however again then he was once coming off again surgical procedure. Now, after “taking the summer to focus on my body and get it to a place where I felt that strength come back and let that area heel,” he mentioned that it feels “amazing” to be wholesome sufficient to carry out the approach he desires to.

“I get to do my job,” Simmons mentioned. “That’s a blessing. Every day, I don’t take it for granted. I just come in here and do my job to the best of my ability and I’m grateful to be back on the court playing and doing what I love.”

In 2022-23, Simmons best gave the impression in 42 video games, all ahead of the All-Star smash, and the three-time All-Star averaged 6.9 issues, 6.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists in 26.3 mins. More worryingly, he averaged 2.5 unfastened throw makes an attempt in step with 100 possessions, which is one-third of what he averaged at his top with the Philadelphia 76ers. Coach Jacque Vaughn again and again suggested him to play with extra drive, however has since mentioned that Simmons could not bodily achieve this. There have been occasions when he may just “barely jump,” Simmons told ESPN’s Marc Spears in August.

The 2023-24 model of Simmons will likely be other, in accordance to Simmons. He sees himself as Brooklyn’s level guard, a pacesetter and “somebody that can facilitate, get to the rim, get to the line,” he mentioned at the podium. Separately, in an interview with YES Network, Simmons mentioned that he’s “able to take hits and get to the line and do Ben Simmons-type things.”

In 5-on-5 scrimmages main up to coaching camp, Simmons has been “looking a lot better,” Nets giant guy Nic Claxton mentioned. “He’s feeling a lot better, a lot more confident in himself. I know he’s ready to get out there. He has a lot of people to prove wrong. He wants to get back to his old self.” 

Brooklyn guard Cam Thomas mentioned that Simmons “looks more explosive” in the open court docket: “That’s the main thing I’ve seen different from him. When he’s in transition, he goes.”

Ideally, this season will see the go back of the previous Simmons. But he will be in a brand new context. He has performed a complete of 21 mins subsequent to Mikal Bridges, 22 subsequent to Cam Johnson and 28 subsequent to Spencer Dinwiddie. This will likely be Vaughn’s first coaching camp as head trainer, and the entrance place of business became over nearly the complete bench in the offseason. The plan is to get stops, get rebounds — a significant weak point remaining season — and to find simple issues in transition, with Simmons pushing the tempo at each and every alternative.

“I think this team goes as far as Ben and Mikal take it,” Dinwiddie mentioned. “We know who Ben can be when he’s healthy and right and in a good space, and that’s what we hope for, obviously, ’cause, to be the best possible team we can be, we need that.”

Bridges mentioned that he and Simmons had been on opposing groups right through scrimmages, and he’s glad to see the 27-year-old “having fun.” Bridges added that Simmons’ competitiveness has stood out right through those classes: “You can tell when you’re lining up against somebody and they’re trying to beat your ass.”

If Simmons returns to shape and his frame holds up, then the Nets may well be considered one of the league’s highest defensive groups. He and Bridges completed 2nd in Defensive Player of the Year vote casting in 2021 and 2022, respectively, and Claxton was once in the operating for maximum of remaining season. (“KD and Kyrie, when they left, it’s like my name just fell off the map in a sense,” Claxton mentioned. “It makes my blood boil.”) Dorian Finney-Smith can guard up or down, too, and free-agent addition Dennis Smith Jr. is a risk at the level of assault.

“I can’t wait,” Simmons mentioned. “I think it’s kind of scary when you have multiple guys on the floor that can guard 1 through 5. And that’s just gonna lead to pace in transition. So it’s exciting to have guys on the floor that are very very talented in that area.”

For the Nets to achieve their doable on that finish, regardless that, they are going to want Simmons and Claxton to be a viable tandem offensively. This is difficult as a result of it’s 2023 and neither of them is a flooring spacer. 

When they are on the court docket in combination, the Nets want to “get out and play fast, shoot a lot of 3s,” Claxton mentioned. “And then as far as the halfcourt offense, we’ll have to work through that. We’ll put everybody in position. That’s not my job. [It’s on] the coaches to figure that out.”

Ever the optimist, Simmons brushed aside issues about the are compatible. “It’s talk,” he mentioned. “I don’t know. We gotta play together, you know?” He added that he will be ready to solution questions on it in time.

“Give us probably 30, 40 games,” Simmons mentioned.