Ben Simmons Era with the Brooklyn Nets Should Bring More Balance, Defense

By Akiva Wienerkur   February 23, 2022 

Ben Simmons Era with the Brooklyn Nets Should Bring More Balance, Defense

For the second straight season, the Brooklyn Nets were involved in the most intriguing and franchise-altering trade. This season, it wasn’t their first choice, though.

Just a season ago, the Nets formed a super team by trading for former MVP James Harden to play alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Harden arrived in Brooklyn after that trade and, as expected, produced consistently. He even deferred to the other stars despite coming from an offense in Houston that was geared around his scoring. Harden led the NBA in assists last season and proved he could be an elite facilitator while still taking over games as a scorer when needed.

The Nets struggled with injuries, though. The trio of Harden, Durant, and Irving was predictably hard to stop when they were on the court together. But they were all rarely healthy or available at the same time. In last season’s playoffs, injuries to Harden and Irving saw Brooklyn’s run come to an end in seven games in the second round.

This season, the team has stayed competitive in the Eastern Conference despite a knee injury keeping Durant out since mid-January with a knee injury and isn’t expected back until after the All-Star break. Irving’s refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine has limited him to only being able to play road games this season due to New York’s local vaccine mandate.

Reports emerged in early January that Harden had grown frustrated with the roster issues and living in Brooklyn and that he would prefer a change of scenery. Philadelphia emerged as the logical destination mostly because of Harden’s familiarity with team president of basketball operations Darryl Morey from their days in Houston together.

Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden practices at the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex | Sidelines
Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden practices at the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Harden’s play noticeably fell off in Houston after he made it clear he didn’t want to be a Rocket anymore, only to bounce back when he got to Brooklyn. That pattern looked to possibly be repeating itself this season, with Harden playing inconsistently. Rather than wait around until the end of the season to figure out a roster move, the Nets acted quickly to get talent in return for Harden.

Harden was sent to Philadelphia, saying that the Sixers were always his No. 1 choice all along anyway. His superstar status and the fact that he’ll be playing against a leading candidate for MVP in Joel Embiid make Philadelphia seem like the winners of the trade. But Brooklyn didn’t make out badly.

The Nets picked up a young All-Star in Ben Simmons. Simmons gives the team one of the best defensive players in the league and a great passer on offense. They also added an elite perimeter threat in Seth Curry and frontcourt help in Andre Drummond, along with two future first round picks, which can be used as trade assets in the offseason. In a separate move, they also signed free agent guard Goran Dragic to further bolster their depth.

The trade allows Brooklyn to add some needed depth in the short-term as they cope with injuries, but if everyone returns healthy in the second half, the door isn’t closed on their own title aspirations. Here are three key questions for the Nets after the All-Star Break.

How fast can Ben Simmons ramp up?

Simmons’ shortcomings are obvious at this point – he’s not a perimeter threat, and in last season’s playoffs, he (fairly or unfairly) took the brunt of the criticism for Philadelphia falling short in an upset loss to Atlanta in the second round.

But that shouldn’t overshadow his real strengths as a player. He’s one of the best defenders in the NBA and was a serious contender for Defensive Player of the Year last season. He and Durant, because of their length, should give the Nets a phenomenal defense and be difficult for opposing frontcourt players to match up with in the playoffs.

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) inbounds the ball past Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (25) during the fourth quarter in game seven of the second round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Wells Fargo Center | Sidelines
Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) inbounds the ball past Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (25) during the fourth quarter in game seven of the second round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

That all depends on how quickly Simmons gets ready for gameplay. Simmons had been sitting out in Philadelphia because of his dispute with the team, but also due to opinions from mental health professionals he’d consulted that he wasn’t mentally ready to play. Those concerns don’t vanish just because he’s on a new team, so Brooklyn won’t rush him into action.

The team hasn’t given a definitive timetable for when he could debut, but for now, they’re hoping for sometime in March. After he returns, he’ll also need a window of time to get back into game shape after sitting out the entire season.

Are the Nets the best shooting team in the league?

Simmons has an obvious weakness from the perimeter, but he might be on the perfect team to hide that. The Nets can surround him with elite shooters.

In addition to Irving and Durant, the Nets should get Joe Harris, one of the best three-point shooters in the league, back before the playoffs. Dragic, Curry, and Patty Mills are also extremely efficient perimeter threats. Surrounding Simmons with shooters is the perfect way for a team to hide that flaw in his game, so expect the Nets to do just that once their roster is fully healthy.

Can they make it through the next two weeks?

The Nets have an unquestioned amount of talent. They also won’t have all of it at their disposal until sometime in March. In addition to Simmons waiting to debut, Durant is also not going to be rushed back into the lineup. Dragic will also need time to get in game shape, as he has yet to play this season.

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) takes warmups prior to the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Barclays Center | Sidelines
Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) takes warmups prior to the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Barclays Center. Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Harris is a question mark to return. He was rehabbing and progressing toward a post-All-Star break return, but suffered setbacks in his ankle injury in January that have slowed his rehab. There’s still a chance he could have season-ending surgery and not return at all for the playoffs.

The Nets are currently eighth in the East. They’re only seven games out of first place, but they can’t risk falling further before their stars return – Atlanta, Charlotte, and Washington are all within striking distance behind them. But if the team can maintain at least solid play prior to Durant and Simmons getting on the court, they could be a good bet to make a strong second-half run toward a higher seed.

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