What Ben Simmons’ Return to Form Could Mean for Nets

Simmons returning to All-Star form could be huge for Brooklyn.

Feb 13, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (10) brings the ball up court in the third quarter against the Boston Celtics at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

In his six-year NBA career, Ben Simmons has seen the highs and the lows.

The No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Simmons came in with unreasonably high expectations as a 6-foot-10, do-it-all forward. But after missing a season due to injury, he still managed to take home the Rookie of the Year Award.

In the next few seasons, he would see All-Star, All-Defense and even All-NBA bids, finishing within the top-12 in MVP voting in 2020-21.

That would be as high as it got, though, as the next season he suffered an injury, and has been unable to find his groove since. In two seasons with the Nets — 42 games two seasons ago and just 15 last year — Simmons has averaged just 6.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game.

Now, the hype is rebuilding for Simmons’ return. NBA skills trainer Chris Brickley has co-signed Simmons returning to his once-impactful form:

Thanks bro but Ben is healthy, moving very well, he is better now than his All Star seasons. I’ve never co-signed a player that didn’t prove it when their season started. Trust me on this one. https://t.co/B2r0Z0UKtX

— Chris Brickley (@Cbrickley603) September 18, 2024

Simmons’ return to form is to be taken with a grain of salt, as he’s been shown in the gym in each of the last few off-seasons. But what would Simmons returning to All-Star level actually mean for Brooklyn?

With a full-power Simmons, the Nets assuredly wouldn’t be the league-worst team that most experts are expecting. With a starting lineup of Dennis Schroder, Cam Thomas, Cam Johnson, Simmons and Nic Claxton, the team would likely vie for 35-40 wins in a tough Eastern Conference. Likely missing out on top picks at the '25 draft.

After acquiring their own selections back from Houston, the Nets are finally set to undergo a rebuild. And with premier talent entering the league in the 2025 and 2026 NBA Drafts, it’s likely in their best interest to move forward with that plan.

If Simmons truly does come back strong, the Nets would likely look to sell high before his next contract.

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