Ben Simmons Returns to the Court for the Nets

Over that summer, Simmons demanded a trade. When he returned to the 76ers in October he was kicked out of practice after refusing to participate in drills. He did not return to the court for the team that season, saying his absence was because of mental health reasons.

“I just was not in the right place to play, I just couldn’t do it,” Simmons said on the former player JJ Redick’s podcast last month. “Getting kicked out of that practice that day, I actually spoke to Doc before practice and I was like, Doc, I’m not ready, mentally I’m not ready. Please, just understand that I tried to let him know prior.”

In February, the 76ers finally traded him to the Nets in a deal that included James Harden going the other way. Soon after, though, he was diagnosed with back problems, and while there was hope he could return for the playoffs, he did not.

Now Simmons is back on the court and being counted on to be a key contributor for the Nets, who were swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the N.B.A. playoffs last season.

“Ben’s playing in a totally different unit than he’s played with in the past, different style, so it’s a big departure for him,” Nash said. “These guys haven’t played together, so we’ve got to go through this. It’s going to be ugly at times, but I thought as the half wore on we started to see glimpses of the potential.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/04/sports/basketball/ben-simmons-nets.html