I thought I’d make a Pro/Con list with my personal opinions at the bottom. Feel free to add anything I missed or toss in your opinion, would love to hear what everyone has to say.
Pros
– He looks better than most expected
– Great fast break distributor
– Full Court tempo pusher
– Great rebounding for defense + offense
– Can still effectively guard 1-5
– Great dribble handoffs
– [Elite off-season hype videos](https://youtube.com/shorts/61p1QiIqj-w?si=HXNjWAtaVVgRzQXy)
Cons
– Still lacks confidence to attack the rim
– Will look to pass for a 3 in transition instead of going for a layup/dunk (can be a positive when the Nets are shooting lights out)
– Half court struggles, specifically when he doesn’t have the ball
– Misses a lot of games, hard to scheme when the team has to change how their entire game is played depending on if he’s available
– Playing below his pay at a max contract
– Free Throw liability, especially in late game scenarios
IMO
I know there’s a lot of discussion going on around Ben Simmons and I believe a lot of the hate is unjustified. Ben *can* be a great player but I think what the product we’re getting now is around what we should expect for the rest of the season. He has all the tools to be great, but because of his health he can’t stay on the court enough to improve to where we all want him to be. I consider myself lucky if I get to see Ben play without minute restrictions or 2+ games in a row. This is also hardest on his teammates who have to plan around his possible absence every game. His confidence is still lacking with his offensive aggression (which could eventually change) but it’s not fair to us to expect that to improve as it hasn’t for years now. The only way I see him bring his career back to stardom is if he miraculously gets all his confidence back and no longer is big by the injury bug. So far, Ben 10 is starting to solidify himself as a plus role player which could work after his max contract is up.
Do I think we have a better team when he’s on the court? Of course yes. But I think people need to stop putting high expectations on him until he starts showing growth as a player again.
Edit: Added something I forgot
Edit: 2 by NandoDeColonoscopy note on Ben’s FT’s
by JStrat58
8 Comments
We look so much better when he plays, but his availability sucks. Until ben can prove he can play more than 40 games in a year he’s only worth a vet min contract unfortunately. If he plays 50 games for us next year, I’d be happy to bring him back for something like 2/42. He will never get a max contract again though
One big con you’ve missed: his inability to make free throws means he can’t have the ball in his hands at the end of close games, which means he can’t be on the court.
once his max expires i’d be cool with having him back on a much smaller contract, something with $15-$18 mil a year. of course that also hinges on whether or not his back health and availiability as a player can improve but that’s something we’ll have to just wait and see.
What’s to discuss? He can’t play two games in a row.
Unfortunately Ben Simmons as he is, cannot be anything more than a role player. All-star is already out of question, that’s just never happening again. Starter is not possible for as long as claxton is our center, and Simmons cannot play consistently. So really what we’re only talking about here is an off the bench role player and that’s it. He cannot impact games for as long as his body has to be babied and he can’t make the full defensive impact he could before, he cannot impact games if he cannot attack the basket since he cannot hit free throws. I mean he can have some moments, but until he can even play 30 mins a game every night, there’s no true impact on the team, it’s just better than nothing.
Long term, for as long as you cannot play him and claxton together, that means there is a permanent cap on how useful he can be
I think the team sucks with or without Ben. It just sucks less with Ben playing. At least he gets rebounds, assists, boxes out, and screens.
The biggest con for me is his health but that’s not his fault. His defense outweighs what he doesn’t provide offensively. The team is entirely different and so much better when he’s simple on the court. Inherently this team has offensive weapons
Not a nets fan, but been a huge Ben Simmons follower since his rookie year. I think that with a bit of added aggression (and good health), he will be a 14/8/8 guy. Hard to see him playing more than 20 min a game as of now. I feel like that will change IF he gets into a rhythm (big if, I know)
I still believe tho. He looks like he still has the physical tools and athleticism