No longer appeared on the courts for a year and a half, Ben Simmons is getting closer to returning. Present at the Nets training camp, the Boomer received the support of his new teammate, Kyrie Irving.
June 20, 2021, this is the date of Ben Simmons’ last appearance on an NBA floor. Since ? A publicized separation with the Sixers on the background of mental problems, a trade in Brooklyn last February and a debut finally postponed because of new physical glitches. In short, seven months have passed since the arrival of the Australian in Brooklyn and we are still waiting to see him put on the black uniform of the Nets. With Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at his side, Simmons is supposed to play the third man of Steve Nash’s Big 3 but will he meet the expectations of fans? According to Uncle Drew, everything is in place to see Benny shine on the Barclays Center side, it remains to put him in the best conditions to get there. Comments transcribed by Nick Friedell fromESPN.
“With this level of talent, IQ and motivation, anything is possible. He has this ‘stuff’ in him and now we need to slowly evolve him so he knows he can go out there and be himself. We want him to be at his full potential as a player, to be able to do things on the pitch that he hasn’t been able to do in recent years. And just have fun and be at peace with it. »
Things he hasn’t been able to do in the last few years, huh? Will Kyrie teach Ben to shoot from afar? We are joking of course, but it is true that the question of the complementarity of the three leaders will be put on the table. Simmons is a player who needs to have the ball in hand to shine and the problem is that the swell is often in the hands of Irving or Durant in Brooklyn. There again, Mister flat earth thinks that there is nothing to worry about. He just asks for time to let his teammate regain all his feelings.
“Having a 2m08 or 2m10 playmaker, I’m also a playmaker, a fullback, whatever you want to call my position. It’s good to play without the ball and to be able to count on him to go up the pitch. It’s going to take time obviously in terms of health, but we’re patient, so just wait for him to get back to his All-Star form, I know that will happen soon. »
If the performances of Ben Simmons on the ground will obviously be scrutinized, what happens outside will be at least as important. The Boomer had been sidelined in Philly because he was not at his best mentally and Kyrie Irving, who himself has experienced complicated periods in recent months, has already warned that his teammate could count on his partners to support it.
“In fact, it’s one of the things [être bien dans sa tête, ndlr] the most important ones you need here to be great at everything you do. We are all in solidarity, we are all going through our own trials, we can understand him and meet him to help him rediscover the pleasure of playing. Rather than making it look like it’s something he has to do. »
Ben Simmons back, it’s great news for Kyrie Irving, already very caring with his new teammate. Uncle Drew and KD will need a Benny on top if they want to dream of going to the Finals next June.
Source texte : ESPN