Ben Simmons says that he feels 'great' as Nets prepare for two-game road trip
Nets guard Ben Simmons dribbles the ball up court against the Atlanta Hawks in the first half of an NBA basketball game at Barclays Center on Friday, Dec. 9, 2022. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The question posed to Ben Simmons was simple:
How do you feel?
And the interesting thing was, he did not have to answer. Because the grin on his face said more than any word could.
“I feel great,” Simmons said during Thursday afternoon’s practice at the Hospital for Special Surgery training facility in Sunset Park, prior to the team leaving for Toronto. The Nets begin atwo-game road trip at the Raptors Friday and at the Pistons Sunday.
Those three words have to be music to the ears of organizational decision-makers. Because a healthy Simmons is not a phenomenon that the Nets have experienced often since the Feb. 10 blockbuster trade with Philadelphia that brought the 6-10 point guard to Brooklyn.
Simmons did not play at all in 2021-22 as he battled physical injuries and mental health issues before undergoing microdiscectomy surgery on May 5. So far this season, he has missed 10 of the Nets’ 29 games with knee swelling and a calf injury.
As such, the Nets, in an abundance of caution, are managing Simmons’ workload with the eventual goal, according to coach Jacque Vaughn, is to have him be able to play in back-to-back games at the end of the regular season.
The Nets have played seven back-to-backs in 2022-23, and they have seven remaining, beginning Jan. 19-20 at Phoenix and Utah.
“There's a lot that goes into it because the player wants to play minutes,” Vaughn said. “So you have this honest conversation of what's too much. I think at the beginning we wanted to continue to push Ben to play as many games as possible and for him to grow with the group on the floor. I think we learned maybe we pushed a little bit too much … for a guy that hadn't played in a long time. And so I think sometimes you kind of learn by going through the situation and [are] smarter on the other side, hopefully.”
Take the Nets’ last game, for example. Simmons compiled a slash line of 10 points, eight rebounds, and five assists in 23 minutes in the 112-100 win over the Wizards in Washington.
Over the course of the season, he is averaging 8.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.8 assists in 27.4 minutes.
“It's tough, because once I'm out there, I want to stay out there,” Simmons said of the minutes limit. “But we're playing for the long term, you know? We want to get to the playoffs healthy and do the right thing.”
Until then, though, his workload will be an open discussion between the player and organization.
“I don’t make that decision,” Simmons said. “I can only tell them how I feel but at the same time I’m [going to] trust their decision and what they think is best for me.”
Notes & quotes: Vaughn said that Patty Mills missed practice with a “non-COVID illness,” and that the reserve guard is “doubtful” for the game in Toronto …The Nets called up Day’Ron Sharpe from the Long Island Nets of their G League affiliate Wednesday. Sharpe is averaging 3.6 points and 3.4 rebounds in 17 games with the NBA squad, and is coming off a 19-point, 12-rebound performance in the Long Island Nets’ 116-107 win over the Westchester Knicks on Tuesday.
