MILWAUKEE — The meek may inherit the earth, but they get punished within the NBA. And thru three games this season, Ben Simmons’ hesitancy has cost each him and the Nets.
The Nets have warned that Simmons’ return to form after he missed all of last season is likely to be a lengthy process. And it looks like his recovery won’t be linear or regular, but will occur in suits and starts. Now because the Nets prepare to ride that Simmons roller coaster right into a game Wednesday against the Bucks, they’ll must balance publicly preaching patience with privately demanding high standards.
“His skills are going to catch as much as our game plan eventually, just body-wise,” Kyrie Irving said. “I’m not going to present him excuses and he wouldn’t want me to present him excuses. The connection we’ve developed is centered around holding one another to that top standard and knowing we’re able to doing special things.
“Numerous it’s mental, pushing through what you are feeling such as you’re able to coming off injury. … But until then — you possibly can quote me: I’ve said this — it’s going to look ugly sometimes. … It’s all concerning the team, and Ben’s a giant a part of that. And we want him to lock in only as much as us.”
Everybody from Irving to teach Steve Nash to Simmons himself has warned that the previous 76er could be rusty. In spite of everything, he had not played since June 2021 due to mental health woes after which a nasty back. To date this season, he has bounced between average and downright poor.
After his performance within the Nets’ win Friday over the Raptors marked a stride forward, Simmons took two more steps backward on Monday in Memphis. He finished with seven points, eight assists, three rebounds, five turnovers and was a game-worst minus-16. He fouled out with 3:52 left on an inexpensive call into which Grizzlies star Ja Morant goaded him.
“While you don’t play in an NBA game for 16, 18 months, it does take time to get a feel for it again. Unfortunately that’s going to have some painful moments for him,” Nash said. “However it shows he’s got a good distance, lots of growth to do to get back to where he was. He’s already shown glimpses, so he’s going to get there. It’s only a matter of getting the support and getting there as quick as possible.”
Even Nash, nonetheless, readily admitted that Simmons must start attacking the rim before the query had even been finished.
“Yes. Yeah. That’s a little bit rust, the arrogance not only physically, but with the rhythm of the sport, to go to the basket,” Nash said. “You may see him trying at times, and that’s great. We would like to maintain pushing him to try to interrupt through and force the difficulty, even when he makes mistakes, just in order that we will see him be aggressive and begin to seek out a rhythm for doing so. … It’s tough for him. It’s been an extended time, latest group and a back surgery. Add all of it up and we’ve got to have some patience with him.”
Simmons will enter the sport Wednesday against the Bucks with just 17 points, to go along with 14 fouls and 11 turnovers, in 84 mostly ineffective minutes this season.
The previous All-Star was a transition terror on offense and a disruptive defender. The Nets are prodding him to be more assertive, willing to just accept any mistakes of aggression as the price of breaking his funk.
“That’s the name of basketball is to impose your will in your opponent,” Kevin Durant said. “So we’re encouraging that each time we step out on the ground.”
Despite being a two-time NBA All-Defensive player, Simmons has more foul-outs (two) than he does steals (one, against the Grizzlies). He’s a minus-45, largely a results of teams not guarding him and him passively letting them get away with it.
“I’ve got to push. I’ve got to be more aggressive, more assertive,” Simmons said, aware that he’s going to must play his way through the malaise.
“It’s reps, reps. And I’m going to get those reps in the sport. [It] is probably not pretty, sometimes it’s going to be ugly. But that is once I’m going to get my reps, so that is what it’s.”
MILWAUKEE — The meek may inherit the earth, but they get punished within the NBA. And thru three games this season, Ben Simmons’ hesitancy has cost each him and the Nets.
The Nets have warned that Simmons’ return to form after he missed all of last season is likely to be a lengthy process. And it looks like his recovery won’t be linear or regular, but will occur in suits and starts. Now because the Nets prepare to ride that Simmons roller coaster right into a game Wednesday against the Bucks, they’ll must balance publicly preaching patience with privately demanding high standards.
“His skills are going to catch as much as our game plan eventually, just body-wise,” Kyrie Irving said. “I’m not going to present him excuses and he wouldn’t want me to present him excuses. The connection we’ve developed is centered around holding one another to that top standard and knowing we’re able to doing special things.
“Numerous it’s mental, pushing through what you are feeling such as you’re able to coming off injury. … But until then — you possibly can quote me: I’ve said this — it’s going to look ugly sometimes. … It’s all concerning the team, and Ben’s a giant a part of that. And we want him to lock in only as much as us.”
Everybody from Irving to teach Steve Nash to Simmons himself has warned that the previous 76er could be rusty. In spite of everything, he had not played since June 2021 due to mental health woes after which a nasty back. To date this season, he has bounced between average and downright poor.
After his performance within the Nets’ win Friday over the Raptors marked a stride forward, Simmons took two more steps backward on Monday in Memphis. He finished with seven points, eight assists, three rebounds, five turnovers and was a game-worst minus-16. He fouled out with 3:52 left on an inexpensive call into which Grizzlies star Ja Morant goaded him.
“While you don’t play in an NBA game for 16, 18 months, it does take time to get a feel for it again. Unfortunately that’s going to have some painful moments for him,” Nash said. “However it shows he’s got a good distance, lots of growth to do to get back to where he was. He’s already shown glimpses, so he’s going to get there. It’s only a matter of getting the support and getting there as quick as possible.”
Even Nash, nonetheless, readily admitted that Simmons must start attacking the rim before the query had even been finished.
“Yes. Yeah. That’s a little bit rust, the arrogance not only physically, but with the rhythm of the sport, to go to the basket,” Nash said. “You may see him trying at times, and that’s great. We would like to maintain pushing him to try to interrupt through and force the difficulty, even when he makes mistakes, just in order that we will see him be aggressive and begin to seek out a rhythm for doing so. … It’s tough for him. It’s been an extended time, latest group and a back surgery. Add all of it up and we’ve got to have some patience with him.”
Simmons will enter the sport Wednesday against the Bucks with just 17 points, to go along with 14 fouls and 11 turnovers, in 84 mostly ineffective minutes this season.
The previous All-Star was a transition terror on offense and a disruptive defender. The Nets are prodding him to be more assertive, willing to just accept any mistakes of aggression as the price of breaking his funk.
“That’s the name of basketball is to impose your will in your opponent,” Kevin Durant said. “So we’re encouraging that each time we step out on the ground.”
Despite being a two-time NBA All-Defensive player, Simmons has more foul-outs (two) than he does steals (one, against the Grizzlies). He’s a minus-45, largely a results of teams not guarding him and him passively letting them get away with it.
“I’ve got to push. I’ve got to be more aggressive, more assertive,” Simmons said, aware that he’s going to must play his way through the malaise.
“It’s reps, reps. And I’m going to get those reps in the sport. [It] is probably not pretty, sometimes it’s going to be ugly. But that is once I’m going to get my reps, so that is what it’s.”
