Ben Simmons is all set to make his comeback in the upcoming NBA season and considering his experiences with other teams, he is expected to pick up a leadership role within the Brooklyn Nets team. Their roster has gone through several changes in recent times and Simmons is someone, who can actually lead them.
Recently Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn gave an interview on SiriusXM where he shared how he has adopted a patient approach with Simmons. He constantly highlighted that Simmons has not played a proper game in seven months so it will take time for everything to settle in place.
“That’s the challenge at the end of the day: Ben hasn’t played…in a real game in seven months,” Vaughn said. “And so you’re encouraging him to, you know, use some of the muscle memory that he’s had, and just making plays and being instinctive and playing with the pace, things that just come naturally to him.”
Since he was traded to the Nets, Simmons has only featured in 42 matches in the regular season over two years. He sustained a back injury in his maiden campaign with the Nets which forced him out of action.
He last played a regular-season game on February 15 where he recorded two points, four assists and four rebounds in 20 minutes against Miami Heat.
He has seen a massive drop in performance since joining the Nets. His numbers have fallen drastically as he averages 6.9 points, 6.1 assists, and 6.3 rebounds per game. To put the matter in context, it is a huge drop in numbers from his Philadelphia 76ers days when he averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game.
Vaughn is also adding the responsibility of being a leader to this group of players and he wants him to take charge of the situation on court.
“But also, [I’m] challenging him to lead our group if he’s gonna have the basketball in his hand,” Vaughn said. “So we’re a different team than we were last year. How are we gonna get shots? Which shots are acceptable? He has to be cognizant of that in leading our group.”
Simmons will team up with a young team of talented players including the likes of Lonnie Walker IV, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Cam Thomas, and Nic Claxton. He will also be assisted by two experienced veterans, Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie.
