Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons recorded his first double-digit scoring game in over nine months against the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday.
Ben Simmons tallies ten points for the first time since February 10th
It feels wrong to be writing this kind of stuff considering the player we thought Ben Simmons was a few years ago. A three-time All-Star with an All-NBA honor and two All-Defensive First Team nods looks like anything but an average NBA player.
Unfortunately for him, that’s where he’s at in his career at the minute – his on-court availability has been a real struggle since the Philadelphia 76ers fell in the Eastern Conference semi-finals over three years ago.
Against the Hornets, Simmons put up a season-high ten points with eight rebounds, five assists and three steals on the side. Only Domantas Sabonis has more games with 5/5/5 on at least 70% FG this season.
According to various reports, the Nets are expected to be a selling team at the trade deadline and there’s no player on the roster deemed untouchable – so we could see Simmons head elsewhere for the second half the season and playoffs.
BEN SIMMONS STRONG FINISH! 💪 pic.twitter.com/BE5Ns0ORKp
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 20, 2024
Simmons has played in 10 of Brooklyn’s 15 games so far this season
For a player who has adopted the label of being unreliable and erratic, Simmons has made an appearance in the majority of Nets games so far this year.
After being traded to New York in February 2022, he’s struggled with a number of back injuries and most recently underwent a microscopic partial discectomy to address some issues.
One of the NBA’s best online betting sites, BetOnline, is taking bets on the first team to allow Simmons to score 20+ points – with the Raptors priced as +900 favorites.
Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez was quizzed on Simmons attempting just four free throws this season following the win over Charlotte, where he explained:
“Probably he’s very good at avoiding fouls. I don’t know. He hasn’t shot free-throws. He’s a great playmaker, he makes us play fast… If you’re that good at kicking the ball ahead and finding your teammates in transition, it’s sometimes hard to find yourself dribbling into crowds. Like I said before, I want him to be aggressive and attempt more shots.
“So that’s my goal right now, to get his attempts to go up, but I’m not worried about the free-throws. It’s like one step at a time. Probably if he attempts more shots, maybe he gets fouled more, I don’t know. But I’m not gonna be worried about it. Right now, what I know is when he’s on the court, we play faster in the fullcourt, and that to me is important for the group. So he makes us better.”
