The start of the 2022-23 NBA season was always set up to be a monumental challenge for Ben Simmons, who is having to adapt on the fly to a team he’s never played with before competitively, while returning from offseason surgery and a massive layoff since his last appearances in the league.
Still, Simmons’ early performances for the Nets were cause for concern. After fouling out in a preseason game in just 13 minutes of action, Simmons again fouled out in the regular-season opener, and looked hesitant on offense.
On Friday night against the Raptors, Simmons bounced back with a solid performance, posting six points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in 32 minutes as the Nets won, 109-105. After the game, coach Steve Nash said he was proud of Simmons.
Via ESPN:
“A step up for Ben. From the jump he was more aggressive. He got in the paint, every time he gets in the paint he causes problems…. He’s starting to show the player he can be, and I still think he’s got a ways to go, so really proud of him. He shook off the first night, and I thought he was much more aggressive in an important game for us.”
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