After More Than a Year, Ben Simmons Returns to the Court

Nineteen minutes, 6 factors, 5 assists and 4 rebounds in a preseason recreation.

You would say that it’s nothing particular. However you might additionally say that it’s probably the most essential stat strains within the N.B.A. in recent times.

Ben Simmons is again.

After harm, psychological well being points and disputes with administration stored him off the courtroom for greater than 450 days, Simmons suited up for the Nets on Monday night time in a preseason recreation in opposition to his former workforce, the Philadelphia 76ers, on the Barclays Heart in Brooklyn.

“I believed I used to be going to be nervous, however I wasn’t nervous; I used to be excited,” Simmons mentioned after the sport. “The one manner you study is making errors. I had a couple of on the market tonight.”

With the caveat that it was a preseason recreation, when protection might be lax and the tempo slightly slower, Simmons regarded pretty comfy and fluid on each ends of the ground, notably making some good passes.

And he confirmed off his uncommon talent set. As Coach Steve Nash put it after the 127-108 Nets loss, the 6-foot-11 Simmons performs heart on protection and level guard on offense.

An Australian, Simmons was the No. 1 total choose within the draft in 2016 after his freshman yr at L.S.U. After lacking a full season with a foot harm, he debuted for the 76ers in 2017 and had 4 efficient seasons with the workforce, averaging 15 to 17 factors a recreation and seven to eight assists and taking part in first-rate protection. He received the Rookie of the 12 months Award and made three All-Star groups in 4 seasons.

However the 2020-21 season led to disappointment, when Simmons handed up a seemingly simple dunk alternative late in a decisive playoff loss within the Japanese Convention semifinals. Each the 76ers’ star, Joel Embiid, and their coach, Doc Rivers, expressed frustration with Simmons over the incident.

The play additionally appeared emblematic of Simmons’s progress. All the time wonderful on protection, he by no means appeared to develop a terrific shot. In a recreation wherein 3-pointers have turn out to be more and more essential, he has taken simply 34 in his profession, making solely 5.

Over that summer time, Simmons demanded a commerce. When he returned to the 76ers in October he was kicked out of form after refusing to take part in drills. He didn’t return to the courtroom for the workforce that season, saying his absence was on account of psychological well being causes.

In February, the 76ers lastly traded him to the Nets in a deal that included James Harden going the opposite manner. Quickly after, although, he was recognized with again issues and whereas there was hope he may return for the playoffs, he didn’t.

Now Simmons is lastly again on the courtroom and is being counted on to be a key contributor for the Nets, who had been swept by the Boston Celtics within the first spherical final season.

“Ben’s taking part in in a very totally different unit than he’s performed with prior to now, totally different model, so it’s an enormous departure for him,” Nash mentioned. “These guys haven’t performed collectively, so we’ve received to undergo this. It’s going to be ugly as occasions, however I believed because the half wore on we began to see glimpses of the potential.”