Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons doesn’t shoot a lick like The Hick from French Lick. However, like Larry Bird, his bad back has undermined his talent. Now entering the final season of his contract, his passive play style is only overshadowed by an inability to stay on the court.
Will Nets Move Former No. 1 Pick Ben Simmons To Bench?
The No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, few could’ve predicted the peaks and valleys of Simmons’s career. Nobody would’ve guessed that he’d be hobbled by injuries in what should’ve been his physical prime. At just 28 years old, the Melbourne native has missed 189 games over the past three seasons.
This makes Simmons, who has the highest assist average in Philadelphia 76ers history, far more expendable than he should be. While he may be skilled enough to stay to be in a rotation, he’s not reliable enough. The old adage ‘availability is the best ability’ may not be entirely accurate. Nonetheless, there’s a nugget of truth to that statement.
If Simmons is in a rotation, he’s supposed to be someone his team can count on. Yet, his injury history makes him more of someone they can count out. It’s not like Simmons wants to be hurt, but the fact remains that he’s all but bound to be at some point.
Looking ahead to 2024-25, the Nets will have a new head coach. Jacque Vaughn and Kevin Ollie are out. Jordi Fernandez is in. They’ll also have a new face of the franchise —likely Cam Thomas —after trading Mikal Bridges. With these changes comes a lower level of expectation and thus pressure. Nonetheless, Brooklyn will be looking to get off to the right foot in their new era.
Scheming around Simmons doesn’t appear to be the best way to do that.
The Point Guard Battle
Simmons and Thomas, projected to be a starter next season, actually complement each other. Simmons’s strengths —defense, passing, and basketball IQ —are areas where Thomas needs to improve. Thomas’s specialty —scoring, in volume and with confidence— is Simmons’s only real weakness, durability aside.
While Simmons isn’t a player Brooklyn can expect to be healthy throughout the season, there are reasons that they could start him. It doesn’t hurt that he’s also capable of playing in the frontcourt. In fact, at this stage of his career, he’s more of a point-forward.
Yet, it’s worth noting that Brooklyn only has one other nominal point guard on the roster: Dennis Schroder.
A journeyman who has played for seven NBA teams, Schroder started in 25 of the 29 games he played with the Nets. In that time, he showed the organization that he was someone worth keeping around. While he hasn’t signed an extension with Brooklyn, their decision not to trade him and his expiring contract this offseason speaks volumes.
It could just be the case that they wanted an insurance policy at point guard. Yet, Schroder’s guard skills and natural leadership stood out in the short time he spent in Long Island. The production matters too, as he averaged 14.6 points and 6.0 assists per game with the Nets, all while shooting 41.2 percent from 3.
As a career 34.2 percent 3-pointer shooter, his long-range efficiency was anomalous. However, the slithery play-initiator consistently makes a positive impact as an on-ball scorer and facilitator.
Who Should The Nets Start?
The Nets could start Simmons and bring Schroder off the bench, or vice-versa. As previously alluded to, they could start both Schroder and Simmons, with the latter shifting to a forward spot. In either scenario, Thomas is a likely starter and Nic Claxton is a definite starter. At least one of Cameron Johnson, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Dorian Finney-Smith should find themselves in the first unit as well.
Despite multiple lineup options, Brooklyn only having two point guards should lead to them bringing one off the bench. That player would, in all likelihood, be Simmons. Though his two-way playmaking is arguably a better fit next to Thomas, it’s easier to navigate past his injuries and passive scoring mindset if he’s in the second unit.
This should work out for Simmons as well. He’ll often face lesser competition than he did with the starters, which should help as he returns from injury. He can start the game dissecting what the team needs from the bench. He might even feel more comfortable scoring aggressively, as many players do once moved to the second unit.
