Brooklyn’s coaching camp begins Tuesday and received’t wrap up till Opening Evening on Oct. 23.
And daily from the start proper to the tip, Ben Simmons’ well being received’t be a massive story.
It’ll be the single greatest story.
Sure, that claims one thing about how dangerous, or boring, the Nets may find yourself being.
However it additionally speaks to how injury-riddled Simmons’ previous few years have been.
And although he’s been cleared for the official begin of camp — and been amongst their greatest gamers of their pickup video games the previous month, sources advised The Put up — the query of whether or not he can keep on the ground goes to hold over the workforce.
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“Being the aggressive man he’s, you would like him effectively and also you hope he can get on the market on the courtroom. From what we’ve seen to this point with Ben, Ben will probably be a full go in camp, which for us, that’s thrilling to see,” Nets GM Sean Marks mentioned.
“And for him, he’s champing on the bit to have the ability to get on the market and contribute. So this can be a massive yr for him, similar to it’s for the remainder of us.”
It’ll be a rebuilding yr for the Nets, who’ve already been collectively and taking part in pickup video games for weeks to get a head begin for brand new coach Jordi Fernandez.
However it’ll be an enormous yr for Simmons.
He’s missed 189 of 246 video games over the prior three seasons, and all eight of Brooklyn’s playoff video games because of a foul again.
After his nerve impingement returned, Simmons had a season-ending microscopic partial discectomy in March, his second such process in three years.
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“He’ll be full go to begin camp,” Fernandez mentioned.
“However we’ll deal with him the identical means as everyone else. We’ll undergo practices, consider how everyone feels after which we’ll make choices. … So, excited to see Ben on the courtroom from Day 1.”
Simmons averaged 6.1 factors, 7.9 rebounds and 5.7 in 23.9 minutes final season.
And he’s had an outsized influence on the Nets, as has his absence.
Brooklyn is a stable 31-26 when he’s performed the previous two seasons and a sorry 46-61 when he didn’t. Or, for perspective, a 45-win tempo falling to 35-win tempo.
“If you consider it, a wholesome Ben Simmons … the No. 1 factor for him and the factor we care probably the most about is his well being,” Fernandez mentioned.
“Ben is an excellent participant. And Ben being wholesome, he can rebound, push, do all that stuff that may assist us create actually good photographs. We wish to play quick. He’s among the finest playmakers to have the ability to do this, from rebounding to pushing to throwing the ball forward.
“His paint touches are unbelievable. He’s massive, constructed like a truck, may get into the paint and spray [out to shooters], get to the rim.
“So far as shot high quality, should you can play quick — contact the paint, transfer the ball, reverse the ball, physique motion, ball motion, all that stuff — Ben actually matches all that.”
Fernandez frolicked with Simmons in Miami whereas the 28-year-old rehabbed, as did the Nets’ return-to-performance coordinator James Moore.
He’s appeared good in pickup video games, as has Noah Clowney and to an extent Zaire Williams.
When camp formally ideas off Tuesday, Fernandez will begin the problem of determining house the ground with Simmons and non-shooting middle Nic Claxton collectively.
However for the Nets, Fernandez says that’s secondary to conserving Simmons wholesome.
That would be the story of this preseason, even earlier than it’s the objective of the common season.
This text was first printed on The New York Put up and was reproduced with permission.