Ben Simmons is exactly who he used to be, and that’s OK with Nets

By Yaron Weitzman
FOX Sports NBA Writer

NEW YORK — Ben Simmons returned to the court Monday night — 471 days removed from his last bit of NBA action in the 2021 playoffs — and, well, he looked almost exactly like Ben Simmons looked during his final year in a Sixers uniform. The good, the bad, the impressive, the confounding.

There he was dashing down the floor, creating a one-man fast break and dropping off no-look dimes to streaking cutters — and there he was, camped out under the basket, often for entire possessions.

There he was, running the court and throwing down a right-handed dunk — and there he was, clanking his lone two free-throw attempts off the rim.

If you’re one of those people who think it’s important to highlight all the things he does on the court, then you likely walked away from the Nets‘ first preseason game of the 2022-2023 season feeling like Simmons is the player who could connect all the dots in Nets-land and elevate them into the NBA Finals.

If you’re someone who finds his inability to shoot and refusal to attack the basket not only maddening but also an act of sabotage that cripples his team, well, you probably saw some of that Monday night, as well.

Simmons has long been an NBA version of a Rorschach test. People perceive what they want, and his debut was no different.

“It’s all coming back slowly,” Simmons told reporters after the Nets’ 127-108 preseason loss to Philadelphia. “It’s a process, though.”

The first bit of good news: Physically, Simmons, who finished the game with six points, five assists and four rebounds in 19 minutes of action, looked fine. There were no lingering limitations from the back injury that required surgery and contributed to his absence last season. Simmons looked fluid and fast. After the game he mentioned that “getting down in a stance” was a bit more difficult post back surgery, but added that he had no concerns.

And with him, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving all sharing the floor, we saw flashes of just how overwhelming the Nets’ offense could become with him. The Nets didn’t need any more scorers, but a player who could help them kick their affinity for iso-ball — they finished last season No. 1 in isolation frequency, according to NBA advanced stats, a habit that contributed to their fall to 10th in offensive efficiency — would certainly help.

That’s one reason the team — from general manager Sean Marks to head coach Steve Nash to Irving and Durant — is so excited to have Simmons back on…