Nets HC Makes A Clear Statement On Ben Simmons
After parting ways with superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving last summer, the Brooklyn Nets were a team that was expected to go into a drastic decline with the rebuilding process officially underway.
Although the team was swept by Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the NBA playoffs, the Nets showed they can be a perennial playoff team moving forward, with Mikal Bridges looking like a star in the making in Brooklyn.
Even though the Nets aren’t going to make any headlines as a serious threat in the Eastern Conference during the upcoming NBA season, Brooklyn might be better than expected, especially if Ben Simmons can bounce back and show flashes of his old form.
During training camp, it appears that Simmons has been making an impression on head coach Jacque Vaughn.
“I think what we’ve seen is his ability to push the basketball. Do it over and over again, play with an extreme amount of pace.” Vaughn said via Ian Begley of SNY.
Jacque Vaughn says Ben Simmons has been pushing the ball, playing with pace/force and getting to the rim so far in Nets training camp: pic.twitter.com/quCz1ueJ9M
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) October 6, 2023
If Simmons can come close to the player that he once was with the 76ers, the Nets could make some noise during the 2023-24 campaign, as this team does have some promising young talent.
Along with Simmons and Bridges, Brooklyn also has Cameron Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Cam Thomas, and Lonnie Walker IV rounding out the roster.
Flying under the radar might benefit this team next season as the Nets try to avoid a complete rebuild and make the best of what they have on the roster right now in Brooklyn, which might be enough to make another run at a playoff spot in the East.