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Philadelphia isn’t removed from Brooklyn, however making the journey may really feel prefer it took years within the making for brand spanking new Brooklyn Nets star Ben Simmons.
Keep in mind when Kyrie Irving had his first sport of the season? It felt like so lengthy between the fateful 2021 Nets’ playoff sport the place Irving rolled an ankle touchdown on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s foot and the January fifth sport when Irving made his 2022 debut in Indiana.
Properly, Simmons has been out of sport motion even longer. He needed the Philadelphia 76ers to commerce him, and he shared with the Philly brass he wasn’t mentally able to play for them again in October. Each the Sixers and the Nets traded gamers who now not needed to play for his or her respective championship-or-bust organizations–the 2 respective high seeds within the East a season in the past engaged within the fateful league-altering blockbuster commerce.
James Harden is now in Philly, and he’ll be out via All-Star break, purportedly to nurse some hamstring tightness (which many in Brooklyn now query the severity of). Simmons has no timetable for return, however we did get an replace.
After the James Harden-Ben Simmons blockbuster, Nets followers have puzzled how a lot time may the Aussie want earlier than he’s able to roll. Is there any lingering psychological well being stuff? What a couple of bodily ramp up, is he on the requisite degree of conditioning he must be? These are all affordable questions.
However they arrive with better urgency as a workforce led by Kevin Durant (nonetheless out since January 15 with an MCL sprain) and Kyrie Irving (ineligible to play at dwelling) look to snap an agonizing 11-game dropping streak. Had Simmons landed in Sacramento (the Kings being the Internet’s Valentine’s Day opponent, in addition to the workforce Harden final performed towards) there could be extra leeway for a participant on this distinctive place. Previous to tip off, coach Nash shared what he knew about Simmons’ timetable to return.
“That’s on the efficiency workforce,” stated Nash. “They’re gonna stroll via an evaluation and his return-to-play and ramp up and all that. It’s been a protracted interval of non-NBA exercise [for Simmons, out since June 21st, 2021] so we’ll see how they put his program collectively and the way lengthy it takes.”
Coach Nash was additional requested if will probably be as much as the runner-up 2021 Defensive Participant of the Yr when he’s prepared. Nash pushed again on that phrasing and stated will probably be extra of a workforce effort.
“I believe it’s a joint choice, we have now to place him able to have the required conditioning beneath him and to really feel protected with it, after which he additionally has to really feel assured and comfy that the time has come. so at any time when that’s hopefully there’s an amazing partnership on these choices.”
Simmons slowed down Trae Younger significantly in Recreation 7 of final 12 months’s playoffs. The in any other case unstoppable Younger shot simply 5-of-23 from the ground in that one, however it was Simmons’ offensive woes that garnered essentially the most media and fan consideration. When Simmons can play, Nash will need to maximize the playmaker offensively and go away him unchanged defensively.
“We haven’t actually seen him we simply acquired within the gymnasium this morning and he was extra doing his assessments and stuff so haven’t seen him understanding but,” added Nash.
When Simmons has ramped up bodily, is Nash’s expectation that Simmons might be prepared or is there additionally that psychological well being part? For background, Sam Amick reported months in the past that the 25-year-old may want a pair weeks following a commerce earlier than he may ramp up.
“I believe it’s laborious for me to make a full dedication to something on that assertion, however I believe he’s in a fairly good place mentally. If we work with him together with his bodily ramp up to verify he’s snug on and off the ground, I believe he’ll be able to play mentally when he’s bodily prepared,” Nash furthered.
“…I believe he is in a fairly good place mentally. If we work with him- together with his bodily ramp up to verify he is snug on and off the ground I believe he’ll be able to play mentally when he is bodily prepared.”
-Steve Nash on Ben Simmons’ psychological well being pic.twitter.com/fQDoYFUXqB
— DaveEarly (@DavidEarly) February 14, 2022
Seth Curry and Andre Drummond have been really able to roll earlier than the final sport, a 115-111 loss to the Miami Heat. However as a result of James Harden hadn’t reported to Philadelphia but, they couldn’t go well with up. That duo has an opportunity to etch themselves into this already bizarre season’s reminiscence by exhibiting out and breaking this seemingly infinite dropping streak.
Durant continues to be out with out timetable, the game’s in Brooklyn so Irving isn’t obtainable both. Simmons nonetheless has a methods to go. Perhaps Seth Curry might be the hero on Monday and get the Nets again into that elusive win column.
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