Breaking Down Ben Simmons' Role With the Brooklyn Nets This Season

Simmons will have a chance to revive his career with the Nets.

Sep 30, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (10) at Brooklyn Nets Media Day at HSS Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

As the Brooklyn Nets gear up for the 2024-2025 season, all eyes are on Ben Simmons and the role he will play. After a tumultuous tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers, Simmons joined the Nets with high expectations, but injuries have limited his impact. This season, Simmons aims to reclaim somewhat of a similar form to his early NBA career and prove his worth to the team and its fans.

The most obvious role Simmons will have on the Nets is a facilitating role. Over the course of his career, Simmons has averaged 7.4 assists per game and most recently averaged 5.7 assists last season. He isn't much of a scorer anymore, but his passing is still above average, and with the right game plan, he can thrive as a passer in transition.

Simmons will also play a big part in rebounding for Brooklyn. At 6-foot-10, the Australian point forward has averaged 7.8 rebounds over the course of his career, and averaged 7.9 rebounds last season. He can still get boards over other bigs, and the biggest strength of Simmons' game is being able to run in transition immediately. He can create a lot of fast break opportunities in Jordi Fernandez's high-pace offense.

Perimeter defense is another facet of Simmons' game that hasn't changed. It seems like while the scoring and appearances have gone down, everything else has stayed the same. Simmons is still a good defender, especially on the perimeter against smaller guards, averaging 1.6 steals per game in six seasons.

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