Former 76ers All-Star Issued Shocking Role Change vs Celtics

Former 76ers star Ben Simmons is playing a new role for the Nets.

Feb 13, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (10) drives past Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) in the third quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Brooklyn Nets are trying something else with Ben Simmons.

The former Philadelphia 76ers All-Star was given an opportunity to come off the bench on Friday night against the Boston Celtics.

Coming off the bench isn’t a foreign concept to Simmons in Brooklyn. Over the past two seasons, Simmons came off the bench 12 times in 57 games. When Brooklyn made the decision to have Simmons play a reserve role, it was temporary since Simmons was battling injuries.

This year, Simmons is healthy, but the recent play of Brooklyn’s other guards is leaving Jordi Fernandez to experiment with the former first-overall pick.

Playing in six of the Nets’ first eight games, Simmons has seen the court for 24 minutes per game. During that time, he averaged six points, six rebounds, and six assists.

Meanwhile, the combination of Dennis Schroder and Cam Thomas is thriving.

The former player has appeared in all eight games. Schroder made 51 percent of his shots from the field, averaging 20 points per game. He’s also dishing out seven assists per game. From three, Schroder is knocking down 49 percent of his 6.4 attempts per game.

As for the latter player, Thomas continues to show the Nets he can be a successful volume scorer. Taking nearly 20 shots per game, Thomas is producing 25 points per game. While he’s not shooting as sharp from three, making just 30 percent of his attempts, Thomas has made half of his twos.

On Friday, Simmons saw the court for 27 minutes. He made all but two of his shots to produce eight points. He also dished out eight assists and came down with six rebounds. The Nets came up short with a 108-104 loss against the Celtics.

Navigating through his fourth season with the Nets, Simmons is still searching for his permanent role. Although he was a surefire two-way star for the 76ers through the first four years of his career, the injuries have put Simmons in a tough spot as he lost his stride.