A couple weeks into the 2023-24 NBA season, we’ve seen glimpses of the two-way force Simmons once was, but they’ve been offset by a head-scratching hesitation that could hamstring the Brooklyn Nets
I found this to be a nicely-balanced article with lots of example vids. So far I’ve been sitting on the fence with a ‘let’s be patient for now’ position, which often has me defending Simmons. But it’s also important to acknowledge his faults.
That said, I do think the article isn’t as open-minded as it could be. For a surgery with typically an 18mo recovery period, Ben is already way ahead of where he otherwise should be, which would be finishing up rehab right about now. The author critiques him for shying away from contact, playing ‘scared,’ but this is a pretty normal sort of behavior for athletes coming back from major injuries / surgeries. I.e., they need to push the envelope slowly and not do something which might aggravate their bodies, which is almost certainly what their coaches would echo. Which is why I think it’s so important to be patient with Simmons. At least for awhile.
OTOH, if by the end of the season: 1) he isn’t more aggressive going to the rack, or 2) has more injuries crop up, then it’s going to be really hard finding any strong reason to include him in future plans. So far I’ve liked his attitude, but he’s going to be 28 next summer, and has limited time to get his body and game back in to shape.
I found this to be a nicely-balanced article with lots of example vids. So far I’ve been sitting on the fence with a ‘let’s be patient for now’ position, which often has me defending Simmons. But it’s also important to acknowledge his faults.
That said, I do think the article isn’t as open-minded as it could be. For a surgery with typically an 18mo recovery period, Ben is already way ahead of where he otherwise should be, which would be finishing up rehab right about now. The author critiques him for shying away from contact, playing ‘scared,’ but this is a pretty normal sort of behavior for athletes coming back from major injuries / surgeries. I.e., they need to push the envelope slowly and not do something which might aggravate their bodies, which is almost certainly what their coaches would echo. Which is why I think it’s so important to be patient with Simmons. At least for awhile.
OTOH, if by the end of the season: 1) he isn’t more aggressive going to the rack, or 2) has more injuries crop up, then it’s going to be really hard finding any strong reason to include him in future plans. So far I’ve liked his attitude, but he’s going to be 28 next summer, and has limited time to get his body and game back in to shape.