Nets say Ben Simmons needs time to regain confidence, rhythm

NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets are doing everything they can to make Ben Simmons feel comfortable in his new surroundings after being away from an NBA floor for almost a year while dealing with back surgery and mental health concerns, but Nets coach Steve Nash acknowledged that what Simmons may need most is time.

«We'll be patient with Ben because he is an incredibly talented and unique player, but he's not going to be at his best in the short term and he's just got to continue to slog through this period of returning to play and getting his confidence, timing and rhythm back.»

Nash and several Nets players have held to a similar refrain throughout training camp, but the comments have taken on a different tenor after Simmons struggled at times in his first two preseason games. In a combined 44 minutes, Simmons has scored 10 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and dished out nine assists and committed eight turnovers. The larger issue for the Nets is that while Simmons is 5-for-9 from the field, he has shown little desire to take a shot that isn't near the rim and has missed both of his free throw attempts so far.

«I think for Ben a lot of it is not just the understanding, it's the reps,» Nash said after Tuesday's practice. «He hasn't played for a long time. He's coming off of back surgery, so I think there's some periods of indecision and confidence that he has to gain from playing. All of us do. We can't take that much time off, join a new group (snap fingers) and just figure it out day one, so he needs time.

For his part, Simmons has stressed patience having played in just two preseason games since asking for a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers following a loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals.