Internet Highlight Video Shows Glimpse Of What Brooklyn Nets' Ben Simmons Once Was

They often say the Internet is forever.

No one can attest to that more than Brooklyn Nets forward Ben Simmons. These days, he is the butt of several running jokes because of his limited scoring and fear of shooting jumpshots.

But a quick look back at the Simmons from the past shows a different player. A recent highlight montage of Simmons was posted on Twitter and perhaps the Miami Heat might see him when the teams meet tonight in Brooklyn in the final game before the All-Star break.

Here's a look at the video:

What happened to this Ben Simmons? pic.twitter.com/1EgiZTqnTy
— Hoops (@HoopMixOnly) February 14, 2023

The Heat are used to seeing Simmons in the starting lineup when they play the Nets but things have changed. He came off the bench for the third straight time in Monday's loss to the New York Knicks. A former No. 1 overall pick, Simmons had two points in 13 minutes.

Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said he must find a new lineup that works with Simmons after the trades of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The Nets roster now includes new additions Spencer Dinwiddie, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, and Dorian Finney-Smith.

"It's going to be some work that we have to do," Vaughn said. "Because you just take a look at what the lineups could potentially look like. You put another big next to Ben, then you got to figure out what the spacing is around him. Then if you put a playmaker next to him, then you got to figure out what Ben looks like without the basketball. Then if you go small with Ben, then you have to figure out can you rebound enough with him.”

Last month the Heat faced the Nets when they had Irving and Durant. At the time, the Nets were considered a contender in the Eastern Conference. That changed when Durant was sidelined indefinitely after getting injured against the Heat. As losses mounted, the team was blown up at the trade deadline.

The Nets are 0-2 since making the moves.

"So, the challenges are ahead of us," Vaughn said. "We'll look them head on. We'll figure it out. We have the personnel to figure it out. Whether it is me mixing and matching throughout different pieces of the game, and allowing him to have a group and run with a group, that part we'll figure out, but you see the challenges that lie ahead.”

Cory Nelson is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson. You can also check out his personal blog: https://substack.com/profile/114079068-cory-nelson?utm_source=account-card