How Do the Nets Balance Ben Simmons and Nic Claxton?

Claxton started in front of Simmons on Monday due to injury, but now Simmons is healthy for tonight's game against the Celtics.

Nov 22, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (10) passes the ball to forward Nic Claxton (33) past Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris (12) during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Brooklyn Nets have a good problem on their hands regarding players Ben Simmons and Nic Claxton. As the team gears up for a game against the Boston Celtics tonight, one must wonder how head coach Jordi Fernandez will handle rotations with Claxton moving off of his minutes restriction to start the season.

Simmons was ruled out of Monday's win over the Memphis Grizzlies due to a back injury, giving Claxton the start. Claxton's hamstring issues had kept him from receiving bigger minutes until Simmons' injury. He played 27 minutes and logged 10 points, eight rebounds, two steals, and a block.

Simmons is not on Brooklyn's injury report for tonight, signaling that he'll be good to go against Boston. However, Claxton now seems to be ditching the minutes restriction given he played that much and was so productive. Fernandez will need to figure how to balance the two.

Claxton and Simmons are playing similar amounts of time but have slightly different play styles. Claxton, who is averaging 22.4 minutes per game, is the bruising rebounder and defender that anchor the Nets on the other side of the ball. He's one of the best interior forces in the league.

Simmons, on the other hand, is averaging 24.3 minutes but is a major facilitator for the Nets on offense. He can rebound and defend at 6-foot-10, but isn't as much of a scorer as Claxton.

As Claxton returns to form, Fernandez will need to decide if he should start over Simmons or another Net. Claxton signed a four-year, $97 milion contract this summer, and big minutes would make him the money.

However, Fernandez should stick with what works. As long as the Nets are winning with even minutes distribution between the two, that trend should continue, and it won't matter who starts.

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