The Brooklyn Nets have seen a lot of positives early on in the NBA season. Despite a recent losing streak, the team has played above expectations while seeing development from key young players. On top of that many of the veterans have proven to be valuable contributors, not just to developing the culture, but also to playing winning basketball, all while improving their potential trade value.
However, there is one former star on the roster who is clearly holding the team back. With Trendon Watford’s return from injury, other potential rotation members like Day’Ron Sharpe and Bojan Bogdanovic waiting in the wings, and starting center Nic Claxton hopefully not missing an extended period of time, a logjam of minutes is brewing.
That all spells trouble for Ben Simmons, the jewel of the James Harden trade, who has continued to frustrate fans. Even without all the reinforcements making a return to the roster, the question is should Simmons take a backseat?
Ben Simmons’ playmaking is not enough
Simmons, despite all his injuries and other struggles, still possesses an elite skill. The point guard-turned-forward and occasional small-ball center can see the court and make passes like few in the NBA.
Per CraftedNBA, Simmons’ passer rating of 10 is in the 100th percentile in the league. Standing at 6-10, he has the unique ability to see over most defenders and an incredible skill for reading defenses, getting the ball into teammates’ hands with the opportunity to score.
For a Nets team that lacks offensive facilitators, one would think this would be a prime asset. However, Simmons’ passive nature negates much of the value his court vision brings to the table.
Simmons refuses to take open shots
A major part of being an effective offensive creator is the ability quickly determine where the highest percentage play is, whether that’s your own shot or setting up a teammate. Unfortunately, Ben Simmons falls short in this regard because he refuses to take open shots.
The three-time All-Star is averaging a career-low 4.5 field goal attempts per game despite starting 8 out of the 10 games he’s played and averaging 24.3 minutes per contest. His complete and total reticence to attack the basket has also led to a career-low 0.4 free throw attempts per game.
When the ball comes back around to Simmons and he has an open look, he rarely pulls the trigger, which has created huge problems for the offense. Opposing defenses rarely guard him, which has gummed up the works for Brooklyn’s penetrators like Dennis Schroder and Cam Thomas who have to deal with more traffic around the rim.
Furthermore, this has led to Simmons making questionable decisions as he desperately looks to pass instead of taking shots even when it’s clear that him shooting is the best option. Per Cleaning the Glass, Simmons’ turnover percentage is a career-high 28.2%, which is one of the worst marks in the NBA. A big reason for this is him forcing passes when he’s open, wasting valuable offensive possessions in the process.
Struggling on the defensive end
Coming out of LSU, one of the biggest pluses of Simmons’ game was his defensive prowess and versatility. Built like a center, but with the agility of a point guard, he was able to guard all five positions on the court and more than hold his own.
However, over the years a litany of injuries, particularly chronic back issues, have limited Simmons’ ability to reliably defend smaller players on the perimeter. Despite his size, Simmons’ relatively pedestrian wing span in relation to his height limits his ability to defend larger players down low and ultimately makes him an ineffective rim protector.
Combined, this has made him largely irrelevant on the defensive end, and his biggest asset, coming up with steals, has dwindled as well.
Simmons is ill-suited for the role the Nets have asked him to play
With starting center Nic Claxton slowed by injuries this season and backup center Day’Ron Sharpe yet to make his season debut, Simmons has logged a lot of minutes at the five, and the Nets have paid the price for it.
A prime example of how playing Simmons at the center position is a detriment was the points in the paint discrepancy in Sunday’s 114-104 loss to the New York Knicks. With Karl-Anthony Towns back manning the center position and an elite penetrator in Jalen Brunson, New York walloped Brooklyn in the paint leading to a points-in-the-paint disparity of 50 to 24.
This has been a recurring issue for Brooklyn, especially against any opponent with size, as Simmons cannot protect the rim, reliably defend elite bigs, and provide an interior threat offensively.
Plus/Minus tells the story
All of these issues combined for a woefully ineffective performance from the former number-one overall pick. On the season, he’s generated a plus/minus of -29.
Brooklyn has hemorrhaged points nearly every time he’s on the floor as the effectively play 4-on-5 offensively and suffer from Simmons’ lack of impact defensively.
While being asked to play out of position isn’t his fault, Simmons’ game at this stage has too many warts to warrant the minutes he’s been receiving.
The Nets are better served playing the young guys
The Nets have an intriguing group of young forwards who all offer more upside than Simmons. For both player development purposes and playing winning basketball, it makes sense to hand over Simmons’ minutes to these guys, especially with the reinforcements waiting in the wings.
Ziaire Williams’ energy and activity replace a lot of what Simmons does on both ends of the court. While he’s not the facilitator that Simmons is and is an inconsistent shooter, he’s not afraid to attack the basket or take the open shot which keeps defenses honest. On the defensive end, he’s versatile enough to play a role similar to what Simmons does at his best.
Trendon Watford brings the creation that the Nets lack outside of Schroder. While he can sometimes play out of control, he is a big-bodied forward who can break down a defense and create shots. Unlike Simmons, if the best option is his own shot he’ll take it and as a career 35.7% three-point shooter he also provides some floor-stretching versatility that Simmons does not.
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Day’Ron Sharpe gives the Nets the physical presence down low that Simmons cannot provide. He has the size and strength to match up with the bigger bodies down low, and as per Cleaning the Glass, his 22.4% defensive rebounding rate last season was an elite number.
The Nets should bench Simmons once the roster is at full strength
The Nets have a plethora of options worthy of minutes who can do a lot of what Simmons can do and more. In addition to the aforementioned youngsters, Jalen Wilson and Noah Clowney have upside and are deserving of minutes and shouldn’t be squeezed out of the rotation to accommodate Simmons.
Veterans Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith have been valuable contributors who again, should not see a minute reduction to support playing time for Simmons. Bojan Bogdanovic, too, could push for minutes as a veteran scoring option upon his return.
Once the roster is at full strength, the smart play for head coach Jordi Fernandez would be to have Simmons ride the bench, and give his minutes to those who are more deserving. While winning games might not be the priority, development, and culture setting are and Simmons has been a hindrance to that.
