Ben Simmons dominates in first Nets game in nearly three months

Ben Simmons dominates in first Nets game in nearly three months

Let’s talk all things Ash networld and of course Ben Simmons returned to the court with SI now host Nets content creator media the man does it all Robin lunberg is in the building right now Robin thanks for hopping on with this man uh Benjamin David Simmons returned

To the court last night 108 and 11 nothing too flashy but he it looks like this team is in better hands when he’s on the court what do you think about the game the win last night and uh been Simmons return Ben Simmons was dominant

I mean it was more than you know not flashy I mean I think you you you put the stats out there that was in 18 minutes yeah I think he was out on the floor for so you extrapolate that over a full game and you’re talking 20 you know

36 minutes if he plays 36 minutes that’s 20 points 16 rebounds and 22 assists uh he was a monster out there and and he’s a physical presence and Difference Maker for the team because he’s just a a level up in Talent the problem with Ben is he’s been more of a

Hypothetical player than a real player you know like in the past the difference between Ben this year and last year for instances when he’s actually been on the floor this year he’s been affected last year he was not a very good player even when he was on the floor this year he

Looks back to being the the Sixers Ben that we saw but the problem remains is he going to be able to stay on the floor he’s had that back injury which has really kept them out the the better part of two seasons now and that’s a that’s a

Huge issue but if he is healthy if he is available all of the sudden you do have to think about the Nets a little bit differently because you’ve got Mel Bridges who’s proven himself you’ve got cam Thomas who’s a bit of an emerging player as a scorer you add Ben Simmons

To that mix to to pick up the pace for the team to facilitate and get get everybody else involved it makes everybody else’s life a little easier I think that’s why you saw Jack vaugh praising him so effusively last night because uh you know JV might have felt

This guy here to save my job well I was going to ask you on that cuz I saw your Tik Tok on on X that you posted can healthy can a healthy Ben Simmons saved Jack Von’s job yeah I mean look I think the thing about Ben Simmons that we have

To remember is he’s still young he’s still young he fits the timeline that they’re on uh so yes but anytime you enter into this conversation you have to add the qualifiers you know can a healthy Ben Simmons well is Ben Simmons ever healthy he has not Prov

That he can remain healthy you know if is the the operative word it’s it’s the big word with Big Ben here because Ben Simmons uh makes a lot of money and hasn’t played a lot of games and you know it’s fair if you’re a Nets fan to

Hope for the best with Ben but you cannot expect it because recent reality has shown otherwise and therein lies the conundrum that the Brooklyn Nets are facing because you’d like to be able to say we can build around this guy we can consider him part of the core but until

He’s on the floor for an extended period of time that’s more of an idea than a reality yeah Jack Von’s mortgage is determined on if this guy can stay healthy stay on the court and like you said he was dominant man he looked like get like the old Ben Simmons it was like

As a former a professional athlete it was great seeing him out there it was great seeing him smile and just play the game that he loves we’re talking 147 to 114 to the Jazz what’s the this Nets team’s ceiling can they make the play in with the healthy Ben Simmons yeah the

Play in for sure I mean they they went into too long a skid where it’s it’s hard to expect them to actually make the playoffs just because they’re so far back but competing with teams like the Atlanta Hawks for the play in absolutely in fact you know at the beginning of the

Season they look like a good team and cam Johnson’s a guy who could benefit from from Ben Simmons being back Bridges has been asked to do too much he’ll obviously benefit from Ben Simmons being back it’ll remains to be seen whether Claxton and Simmons can play together on

The floor I think cam Thomas is another guy who can benefit from Ben because he can set him up and put him in position to succeed with Ben on the floor I think this would have been you know let’s say you get the Ben Simmons you had last

Night and the Nets had him over the full 82 then I think they’re a playoff team for get a playin team so if they get that version the rest of the year I think yes they’re they’re in the playin and they see where they can go from

There so that was a small sample size with it only being one game but if you’re GM sha marks does that one game and that performance change uh your approach to the trade deadline I I think that the Nets are still wise and prudent given the position they’re in to be

Sellers with their pieces on the margin with the the Dorian finy Smiths the Royce O’Neal the Spencer denes of the world the guys that they can trade and maybe get some draft capital for but are not going to you know blow people away in the headlines and then you still have

To be aggressive to add to your core because you can’t count on Ben Simmons you you know if you can if you can kill two birds with one stone where you acquire a player who would fit well next to Ben Simmons and still help the team

You do that but I think you know if you’re Shawn marks you have to operate as if you’re not going to have Ben Simmons because that needs to be proven rather than expected real quick KD returns to the bar Clays tomorrow night that’ll be Wednesday night what are your initial thoughts on KD’s

Return I mean it’s tough Kevin Durant in some ways legitimized the Nets as a franchise you know the Brooklyn Nets by choosing them and going there and and I feel like the Nets feel like a bigger deal in the NBA space as a result of that and and to me that’s the lasting

Legacy along with the you you forget that how good he was in the playoff run that ended with the the foot on the line against the bucks he was great in that playoff series but that whole era is always going to be remembered as a failure given the way it fell apart

Given what happened with Harden given what happened with Kyrie and if you’re a Nets fan you know as much as you appreciate some of what Kevin Durant did and the fact that one of the best basketball players of all time played for the team you’re you’re always going

To have a bad taste in your mouth that he asked out and asked out so recently so I think maybe history will allow it to look a little better um but when you’re when you’re locking up so close to that trade happening you still want

To get the best of the Suns and and hope the Suns fall apart so that the Nets get those draft picks in the future time heels I guess wounds and all I had something in my eye when I I messed that up but uh yeah the man

Say he doesn’t even want to Tribute videos so he just wants to get on the court uh and get straight to the action Robin tell the people where they can find you yeah I just launched a brand new YouTube show uh the robin Lumberg Channel on YouTube so make sure you you

Check that out and and if you follow me on on Twitter Robert lunberg you can find the links to all my social medias everything like that all right man thanks for hopping on with us you got It

S.I. Now host Robin Lundberg reacts to the Nets’ rout of the Utah Jazz in Ben Simmons’ return to action and what the former All-Star can do to help get Brooklyn back into the NBA playoff picture.

#nets #nba basketball #bensimmons #nypostsports #mikalbridges #camthomas

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