Nets' Ben Simmons Thriving in Role Thus Far

Simmons hasn't been back to All-Star form, but he's been producing at a nice level for Brooklyn.

Nov 11, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (10) is guarded by New Orleans Pelicans center Daniel Theis (10) on a pass during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

In the Brooklyn Nets' 107-105 win over the New Orleans Pelicans last night, Ben Simmons thrived on both sides of the court. The 28-year-old put up six points, five rebounds, 12 assists, and two steals on 3-of-5 shooting. Simmons did so in 22 minutes.

Most of the Australian's production came in the first half when he dished out 10 assists. Simmons is now the second player in the 2024-25 NBA season to have 10-plus assists in a single half. He's averaging 6.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 7.1 assists in eight games played this season.

Simmons' improvement is a result of several factors. The first, and most obvious, is that he's healthy for the most part. Despite having sat three games from lingering back issues, Simmons has looked swift in movement on the floor. He isn't a prominent scorer by any means, getting his points strictly in the paint. However, he can still collapse a defense and look for the open man as a point forward.

The second reason for Simmons' efficient production is head coach Jordi Fernandez. In his first season leading any NBA team, Fernandez's developmental approach has elevated the game of not just Simmons, but the rest of the Nets. Everyone's production is up which is why Brooklyn has a 5-6 record.

Fernandez has Simmons playing just 24.5 minutes per game thus far, but he's been so effective because he's played from every spot on the floor. Rather than always bringing up the ball or playing on the perimeter as he did in the past, Simmons can be seen cutting off the ball, catching the ball in the short corner, or looking for teammates at the elbow.

This variety of spots in which Simmons plays makes him more of an unpredictable player, and his willingness to score slightly more only accentuates his game. Fernandez has Simmons and the rest of the Nets playing high-level basketball to start the season.

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