One of the biggest intrigues for the 2022-23 academic year is which Ben Simmons we will meet in Brooklyn. Nobody doubts the quality of the All-Star to play basketball, but if he is prepared both physically and mentally after more than a year away from the courts. In Philadelphia we saw his downfall. He went from idol to villain (perhaps unfairly) and now it´s Steve Nash´s job not only to recover his best version, but to make him evolve as a player.
Too meet this goal, the coach of the New Yorkers has in mind to fully exploit the versatility of his pupil. We have all know Ben Simmons as a point guard with the ball in his hands and running the game. However, Nash believes he has the qualities to be just as decisive in other positions and in other roles.
“I think he adapts to playing both base and center. He is such a complete, versatile and skilled athlete that I think I would limit him by saying, “Hey, you have to handle the ball all the time. You have to create in attack all the time. That is what is special about him. the many skills he brings to the table. Yes, he will be a facilitator and he will act as a point guard, but sometimes he will also be the center. Other times he will just be that guy playing basketball out of position, trying to create play in midcourt. So, for me, it is just about playing to his strengths, which are very varied and will be present in the game”. Says the head coach according to Netsdaily.
Nash doesn´t close doors. Your know what the base Simmons is like and what it adds up from there. He also knows his enormous defensive qualities. Now he seems to be choosing to explore new terrain. Perhaps the young Australian player has been the victim in the past of a typecasting that has ended up limiting his field of action too much. Nash doesn´t want that. The two times NBA MVP wants to see a free Simmons, one who will be a headache for the five rivals who stand before him. To achieve it will depend part of the success of the Nets, which of course are still pending the future of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
Jorge Barbero
