Ben Simmons Asks Kat if He Has a Game Again

Ben Simmons is embracing a new opportunity with the Nets.

Ben Simmons declined to pinpoint a specific engagement for a return to the court, but the old All-Star guard mentioned Tuesday he'southward "starting to ramp it up" for his pending Brooklyn Nets debut.

Acquired in a blockbuster trade Thursday that also featured sometime Kia NBA MVP James Harden, Simmons spoke publicly for the start fourth dimension since joining the Nets, saying "I hope so," when asked whether he plans to exist on the floor on March x (vii:thirty ET, TNT) when Brooklyn faces his former team, the Philadelphia 76ers, at the Wells Fargo Center.

Ben Simmons says "No engagement," but he's "starting to ramp it up."

— Michael C. Wright (@mikecwright) February fifteen, 2022

"This is the first time I'm actually speaking out, right?" Simmons said when asked well-nigh multiple reports surfacing over the concluding six months detailing his tenuous situation in Philadelphia. "So, [over] the last half dozen months I had everybody saying something, but nobody knew. So, I can't really say annihilation negative towards anybody that was saying something because they just didn't know.

"I'm not the type of person to try to put somebody down for something I don't know about. That's just not me as a man. I had my family in that location supporting me from Day 1, [and] friends. I've fabricated a ton of friends that work with the Sixers, too. So, it was never a personal affair. It was just for my well-being to become to where I needed to be."

Simmons reported to Barclays Center on Monday for Brooklyn's shootaround ahead of the club snapping an 11-game losing streak with a 109-85 win against the Sacramento Kings. Simmons sat on the bench with his new teammates on Monday, expressing gratitude the following twenty-four hours for the style the Nets embraced him upon inflow.

Think, Simmons staged a holdout in Philadelphia subsequently requesting a trade back in Baronial, and joined the 76ers in the 2d week of Oct only to later be reportedly thrown out of a practise by charabanc Doc Rivers. Simmons eventually left the team again to work through problems with his mental health, maxim Tuesday that "mental health has nothing to do with just the trade. It was a bunch of things that I was dealing with as a person."

Simmons o north Philly: "Information technology wasn't a personal affair towards any player or coach, it was merely me getting to where I needed to exist…I'k looking forward to what's to come.

Said it got to a identify 'where it wasn't good for me mentally" https://t.co/xfZqV9BcDO

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) February 15, 2022

Simmons described the latter as an ongoing process in his quest to render to live action for the first time since Game seven of the 2022 Eastern Conference semifinals.

"Physically, over the last six months I've been working, so I feel physically pretty good," Simmons said. "Mentally, I'm getting in that location. It's an ongoing matter to stay on elevation of that. But I think I'thou headed the right direction."

Nets coach Steve Nash agreed, saying Monday afterwards shootaround that "if we work with him here in conjunction with his physical ramp-upwards to brand sure he's comfortable on and off the floor I think he'll be ready to play mentally when he's physically ready."

Information technology's unknown at this indicate when that might take place.

Brooklyn'southward concluding iteration of a big iii featuring Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Harden played a total of sixteen games together over the last two seasons earlier Harden departed for Philadelphia. Simmons said he spoke with Durant, who was "not bad on the phone," just hours subsequently the trade.

Simmons also detailed the circumstances that led to his request for a trade from Philadelphia.

"It was more than so, it was just piling upwardly, a bunch of things that have gone on over the years to where I but knew I wasn't myself and I needed to get back to that identify of being myself and being happy equally a person and taking care of my well-existence," Simmons said. "That was the major thing for me. It wasn't about basketball game. It wasn't most the money [or] anything similar that.

"I wanted to be who I am, become back to playing basketball at that level, and being myself. So that's something I've been dealing with, and it wasn't about the fans, coaches, or comments made by anybody. It was just a personal affair for me that was earlier than that [Eastern Conference semifinals] series that I was dealing with. That organization knew that. So, it was something I continued to deal with, and I'grand getting at that place, and getting to the right place to get back on the flooring."

Ben Simmons says "it was a personal thing with me" that made him unwilling to play in Philly earlier the trade to Brooklyn – not fan, team or media comments during or later on playoffs. Says his problems preceded the playoffs. Says he's non yet fix to play but is ramping up.

— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) February 15, 2022

Brooklyn provides the perfect opportunity.

Durant has missed the team's last xv games due to a sprained left MCL, and isn't ready to return until after the All-Star break. Irving, meanwhile, remains a office-time player eligible to participate only in abroad games due to New York City'southward vaccination mandate.

So, while Simmons said, "I don't have a appointment nevertheless" for a potential return, he's worked every day with trainers, lifting weights, performing Pilates, and participating in 3-on-3 and 4-on-4 activities on the court.

Simmons best-selling the recent modify of scenery has helped, maxim "just the fashion everybody has welcomed me here has been neat," before adding that "information technology'south been a very positive experience but beingness here and so far."

Simmons also admitted "this whole experience has been kind of surreal."

Ben Simmons and the Nets should exist able to find chemistry together thanks to his skills and the fourth dimension left in 2021-22.

A three-time All-Star, Simmons, 25, has averaged 15.9 points, viii.one rebounds and 7.seven assists over the last four seasons.

Simmons said the prospect of teaming with Durant and Irving is "gonna be scary," pointing out that "I think at the pace we want to play at, it's gonna be unreal."

Given all that's transpired over the last six months, Simmons understands some fans might remain skeptical of his mental health problems.

Simmons predicted he won't have law-breaking.

"They should be happy I'm smiling, apparently," Simmons said. "I've had some dark times over these last six months, and I'm just happy to be in this situation with this team and organization. People are gonna say what they want. They've said it the terminal six months, and it is what information technology is. So, people are always gonna have their own opinions."

* * *
Michael C. Wright is a senior writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here , find his archive here and follow him on Twitter .

The views on this folio do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting.

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Source: https://www.nba.com/news/ben-simmons-introduced-in-brooklyn-is-ramping-up-for-return

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