Ben Simmons making great strides toward becoming a versatile force for Nets
TORONTO — Ben Simmons didn’t hesitate when asked and didn’t adopt the false bravado that typifies athletes being paid for their ability and, sometimes, their projected confidence.
Is he feeling the best he has since he missed more than a full season while dealing with maladies both physical and mental? Yes.
Did he ask Nets coach Jacque Vaughn to put him back in the game Wednesday night despite carrying a heavy load in back-to-back games? Also yes.
And is he getting his confidence back? “Yeah, I feel it,” he said after the Nets' 112-98 win over the Raptors. “I know who I am. I know what I’m capable of. I know what this team needs me to do, so I’m going to keep working and being consistent with my body and on the court.”
For a handful of games, Nets fans have been able to see the Simmons of promise — the Simmons who can be both defender and point guard, facilitator and protector, the one actively working to be healthier from the inside. He had 14 points, six assists, three steals and two blocks against the Raptors and 11 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds, three steals and three blocks on Tuesday night in a losing effort against the 76ers, his former team, in an environment in which he was booed every time he touched the ball.
The Australian-born Simmons handled the situation with aplomb, even though his sister Melissa told The Sydney Morning Herald that Simmons knew he was so hated in Philadelphia that when he donated winter coats to children last year, he ensured that no one knew they came from him. He didn’t want kids to throw out their coats after a few students reportedly rejected scholarships bearing his name.
For a former first overall draft pick who was known for his generational versatility, getting the output to match the ability has been a struggle, but it’s one that he’s recently winning. Vaughn calls the 6-10 Simmons a point center.
“Sometimes he’s the tallest guy out there but he can initiate the play, so it’s interesting — I don’t know if he has a position,” Vaughn said. “He’ll be out there with four other guys that are smaller than him and he’ll set screens, but he’ll also initiate the offense. That part's been kind of fun figuring out how he best suits us, which lineups he’s best with, but it’s a work in progress as we figure it out.”
And Simmons seems to be OK with that. There’s been talk about him adjusting to playing with Nic Claxton — pacing and spacing when two big guys are together — but the duo has seemed more cohesive of late. Claxton had 14 points and 12 rebounds Wednesday, marking his sixth double-double of the season (he totaled five double-doubles in his first three seasons).
“We’re going to be better when we’re on the floor together — when we learn to coexist and spacing, just knowing where to be, where he wants the ball,” Simmons said. “We’re going to be able to do it. I think it’s over time learning what we need. Defensively, we’ve got to be the anchors of this team.”
Simmons was asked about all the criticism he’s received for years on end. Does it provide motivation?
“Yes and no,” he said. “Obviously, I see certain things that I said, but I know where I’m at, so I’m just pushing myself and trying to get back to where I need to be to try to help the team win.”
It’s honesty with himself and others, and in return, the game is making good on the talent so many have seen for so long.
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
