Nets Explain Difficulty of Playing Ben Simmons After Kevin Durant Trade

The Brooklyn Nets are experimenting with new lineups and it'll be a challenge of finding the best ways to use Ben Simmons.

© Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Brooklyn Nets have struggled to put Ben Simmons in situations to succeed and find comfortability throughout the season. The two-way street challenge has expanded and solutions have been difficult to find. 

The issues amplified after the organization packaged Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant to the West in separate deadline blockbusters. Head coach Jacque Vaughn has had to absorb a new-look squad, experimenting with his new arsenal of talent. At the same time, Simmons has taken a gradually reduced role in the process. 

Across the last three games, the point forward has come off the bench and his minutes on the hardwood have slowly been decreasing. After logging only 13 minutes of playing time in Monday's loss to the New York Knicks, Vaughn spoke about the difficulty of implementing his struggling star. 

"You put another big next to Ben, then you got to figure out what the spacing is around him. Then if you put another playmaker next to him, then you got to figure out what Ben looks like without the basketball. Then if you go small with Ben, then you have to figure out can you rebound enough with him? So the challenges are ahead of us," he said postgame. "We'll look them head-on. We'll figure it out.

"We have the personnel to figure it out. Whether it's me mixing and matching throughout different pieces of the game and allowing him to have a group and run with a group, that part we'll figure out, but you see the challenges that lie ahead." 

The head coach has held conversations with several role players since the organization hit the reset button. Those conversations have been focused on being ready when your number is called while the coaching staff gets working on finding the best recipes for success with the postseason not too far away. 

During the team's shootaround on Monday morning, Simmons stated that he has "no idea" what his role will be going forward. He added that he wants to be utilized in the best interests of the Nets. 

I have no idea," said Simmons after Monday morning's shootaround at HSS Training Center. "Everything’s been changing all year so it’s hard to really understand what’s going on. But hopefully we find some rhythm and consistency."

Can Vaughn and his coaching staff find a solution to incorporate the struggling point forward to help produce winning results? Only time will tell but the challenge won't be something the team won't send to the bench as well just yet.