Will Nets Make Ben Simmons Adjustment Sixers Fans Wanted to See?

Throughout the four-year tenure Ben Simmons suited up for the Philadelphia 76ers, the three-time All-Star has received a fair share of criticism for several reasons.

One of the most notable factors that critics pointed out was that Simmons might be playing out of his natural position in the NBA. Nearly seven-foot tall, weighing in at 240 pounds, Simmons is not the prototypical size for a point guard.

Plus, his lack of a jump shot outside of the paint made it hard for fans to believe Simmons belonged in the backcourt.

Although Simmons’ role was tweaked on multiple occasions during the Brett Brown days, he was the team’s primary ball handler for a majority of his time on the Sixers. Throughout the 275 games he appeared in over a four-year stretch, Simmons averaged eight assists and 16 points.

Following his final season with the Sixers, Simmons’ Brooklyn Nets debut was halted for half a year after he failed to take the court during the 2021-2022 run. Going into the 2022-2023 NBA season, many assumed that Simmons would resume his career in a tweaked role since the Nets had Kyrie Irving running the backcourt.

However, after some major changes throughout the 2022-2023 season, the Nets aren’t expected to welcome Simmons back into their lineup after another injury-riddled season at a different position. According to the three-time All-Star, Simmons will resume as Brooklyn’s starting point guard for the 2023-2024 NBA season.

During a one-on-one discussion with Andscape’s Marc Spears, Simmons was asked about his role moving forward. After making it clear he’s set to play the point for Brooklyn, Simmons pushed back on any possible criticism headed toward his way.

“That’s who I am. As much as people say, ‘Fix this, fix that.’ No, I’m a point guard. When I was playing at that [high] level, nobody was really saying anything to me,” Simmons explained.

Although the Sixers attempted to put Simmons in a point forward role at times, there wasn’t nearly enough evidence to conclude whether he belonged in a different position or not. And while Simmons’s offensive limitations certainly hurt the team’s spacing at times, he did prove to be a productive facilitator when the Sixers didn’t have anybody else who could fill the role full-time.

“I facilitate the ball well,” Simmons continued, via Andscape. “I make the right decisions most of the time. I’m confident with it. I’m going to make the right decision when I get the ball. Make the right passes. I’m able to dictate the game really well. That’s without needing to jump super high or be superstrong. Regardless, I’m able to see the game well.”

Simmons has a lot of pressure placed on him heading into his seventh season. After a rather underwhelming debut season with the Nets, which ended prematurely due to injury, Simmons hopes to get back to playing at the All-Star level he played at with the Sixers from his sophomore effort and beyond.