The rebuilding process continues for the Brooklyn Nets 19 months after they pulled the plug on the Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving experiment, and perhaps their most talented player these days is Ben Simmons.
Simmons, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft, may be the biggest enigma in the NBA, especially given the injury problems he has experienced over the last two or three years.
But some good news has arrived, as he will be ready for the start of training camp just days from now, per NBACentral.
Ben Simmons is officially cleared for training camp, per @NYPost_Lewis pic.twitter.com/jUAWI9jMr4
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 26, 2024
When the 6-foot-10, 240-pound Simmons came into the league, he was compared to Magic Johnson and LeBron James because of his athleticism, open court skills, ability to get others involved and his defensive potential.
While he did eventually become an excellent defender, he has never shown any improvement in any other facet of the game, especially when it comes to his ability or willingness to take shots outside of the paint.
He left a bad taste in people’s mouths when he demanded a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers in 2021 after then-head coach Doc Rivers doubted if he could be the starting point guard on a championship team.
He was traded to Brooklyn during the 2021-22 season, but he has played in just 57 games since due to injury.
At this point, Simmons will never reach his full potential, but if he stays healthy, perhaps he will be a good and very useful player as the Nets look to gain some respectability after their attempt to win with a superteam failed.
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