Nets’ Jacque Vaughn ‘challenges’ Ben Simmons to be a leader of the team

Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said that he ‘challenging’ Ben Simmons to be a leader of the team if he’s going to have the ball.

Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn has had an eventful relationship with star guard Ben Simmons ever since Simmons was traded to Brooklyn in February of the 2021-22 season. Once Vaughn became the head coach in November of the 2022-23 campaign, he had to figure out a way to get Simmons back to his old self.

Vaughn and Simmons have spoken about how the relationship is different now because of the fact that Simmons is actually physically healthy as opposed to last season when he was still recovering from back surgery. It seems that the two are now on the same page and are able to grow the relationship from this point on.

So far this preseason, now that Simmons is fully recovered from the nerve impingement in his back that prematurely ended his 2022-23 season, he has looked like a different player. Vaughn spoke to SiriusXM NBA Radio about what he expects from Simmons now that the Aussie is healthy enough to play like himself:

“Yeah, that’s the challenge. At the end of the day, Ben hasn’t played in a real game in seven months or somewhere around there. So, you’re encouraging him to use some of the muscle memory that he’s had in just making plays and being instinctive, playing with pace, things that just come naturally to him. But, also challenging him to lead our group if he’s going to have the basketball in his hands. We’re a different team than we were last year: how we’re going to get shots, what shots are acceptable. He (Ben) has to be cognizant of that in leading our group.”

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