Even when they lost, the Brooklyn Nets won. They gave away James Harden but landed Ben Simmons in return in what might as well be one of the most defining trades in recent NBA history.
But things don’t happen overnight in this league. Simmons has yet to make his season debut and there’s not a timetable for his comeback yet, as he suffered a setback when ramping up his rehab process.
That’s why, even if Simmons is able to play at some point this season, Nets coach Steve Nash doesn’t expect him to be dialed in or be heavily involved in the team’s offense, as his focus isn’t on that just yet.
NBA News: Steve Nash Doesn’t Expect Ben Simmons To Be Dialed In
“I think he has a pretty good understanding,” Nash said, as quoted byESPN. “Now, has his focus been on learning what we’re doing? No, it’s been on getting better. We’ve had him around, we want him to learn, but there’s a lot going on when you’re desperately trying to fight to get on the court.”
“I don’t expect him to be totally dialed in on what we’re doing because part of that is also feel, getting out there with your teammates, seeing how it fits,” Nash added.“I think he’ll be a perfect fit for our guys. But some of that stuff is also getting out there and doing it, learning on the fly, rather than reading it off the notes.”
Fortunately for the Nets, Simmons is still quite young and they have control over him for the next few years, so it’s not like it’s championship-or-bust for them this season. Also, even a partly involved Simmons could be impactful enough for them to perform at a whole new level, as he’ll provide the playmaking and defense they were craving for since the start of the year.
