Ben Simmons didn’t hold back…
The moment the entire Philadelphia 76ers crowd was waiting for came five minutes into Saturday’s matchup with the Brooklyn Nets: Jacque Vaughn signaled to the bench, Ben Simmons ripped off his warm-up, and Wells Fargo Center suddenly came to life.
It was Simmons’ third time returning to the arena since forcing his way off the team by sitting the 2021-22 season. Yet, the boos and profanity were strong as ever. The crowd’s disdain for the former Philadelphia star was their only reason for excitement as the Nets blew out the shorthanded 76ers, 136-121.
Simmons didn’t score or attempt a field goal but posted nine rebounds and five assists in 13 minutes during his second game after a three-month absence. He reacted to the hostility of his former team’s fans postgame.
“It’s funny to me. Like, I got grown men pissed off and yelling at me,” Simmons said. “I go home after this, got the win. For me, I’m all about winning. So I come here and do my job, then get to go home. But it’s fun. I enjoy that. It’s not that deep. It’s sports, and it comes with it. So I enjoy it.”
Simmons played four seasons with the 76ers, making three All-Star appearances while averaging 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.7 steals over 275 games. However, his last appearance, a Game 7 collapse versus the Atlanta Hawks, during which he posted five points and passed up a wide-open dunk in the final minutes, lives on in the minds of Sixers fans.
Despite the hostile crowd, Simmons said he enjoys returning to where his NBA journey started.
“I have a ton of memories; I was here for a long time,” he said. “I love coming back here. I see a lot of familiar faces. I got a lot of friends here, family. It’s a joy to come back and compete.”
Nets on a roll amid Ben Simmons’ return
Ben Simmons’ return has coincided with two of Brooklyn’s top offensive performances of the season. The Nets posted 41 assists during Monday’s 147-114 win versus the Utah Jazz, their 12th time in franchise history reaching the mark, and dished out 35 against Philadelphia. They shot 51.5 percent from the field while draining 41 threes in the pair of wins.
Simmons’ transition ball-handling and passing has been central to Brooklyn’s offensive success during his eight appearances this season. The Nets rank second in the NBA in fastbreak points during those games, averaging 20.8 per game. Without him, they rank 22nd, averaging 12.7 per game while posting the league’s fifth-worst effective field goal percentage.
The former number-one pick will now try to do what he has been unable to since Brooklyn traded for him at the 2022 deadline: stay on the floor for an extended period.
Simmons sat out the second half of the 2021-22 season due to a back injury and mental health issues. After undergoing surgery on his L-4 and L-5 discs during the offseason, he appeared in 42 games in 2022-23 before being shut down due to a nerve impingement in his back. Despite a seven-month rehab period, he appeared in six games to start this season before being sidelined for three months due to a nerve impingement in a different area of his back.
Regardless of his injury struggles, it’s clear the Nets need Simmons. Their deficiencies handling the ball and defending at the point-of-attack were glaring during a 5-17 stretch before his return. The Aussie has made a noticeable impact during his last two games. Whether or not he can sustain it for an extended period remains to be seen.
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