The good, the bad and the ugly of Ben Simmons’ return to the Brooklyn Nets: the missing link to contenders?

The return to his fields Ben Simmons It was one of his most anticipated stories Season 2022-2023. After missing the entire previous season due to injury and his personal situation, the Australian was finally ready to play. More than positive news for the interests of some Brooklyn Nets to whom any kind of help is welcome.

However, neither the team nor the player has started in the best possible way. With balance 1-5 in their first games the sensations are not at all promising. The problems of the past are still present, with both Simmons and the Nets. Lack of aggressiveness in attack and disconnections from the Australian and defensive inconsistency and lack of distance of those directed by Steve Nash was the trend.

For sure, Simmons’ presence will improve Brooklyn in key ways in the run game. Something that hasn’t been done yet. Whether due to a lack of pace, fitness or inclination, the Australian is not at his best and the bottom line here is that he has the tools to unlock the potential of an all-round team.

But, How could Ben Simmons’ first two weeks with the Brooklyn Nets be properly evaluated? It’s time to analyze The good the bad and the ugly who left their last meetings.

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The good

One aspect that has always been appreciated when judging Ben Simmons is his production capacity in transition.

His size and presence allow him to bring the defensive rebound and drive to the other end, usually with the goal of finding an open teammate. On the Nets, he has some of the best shooters in the league around him, as it is Joe Harris, Seth Curry or even Royce O’Neal (38.1% career); to which add the two stars of the group.

This provided a favorable context for the 26-year-old point guard to increase the offensive danger of the New Yorkers after a mistake by the opponent.

30% of Ben Simmons’ assists in his first 6 games have come in transitionto which should be added those that happened immediately after the opponent’s basket, which would raise the record to 44.1%.

The bad

Whether it’s because he hasn’t played for a year, because of the system or because he’s not in top physical condition, right now Ben Simmons is a shadow of his former self on defense. And this is not a matter of sensations, but of data.

Among those who have defended 50 or more shots in this start are the Australian the one who has given the greatest success to his opponents: 62.5%. How much did he accomplish in his last full season? 41.7%, the second best record in the entire NBA behind Rudy Gobert (41.3%).

Simmons is slowon reads and reactions, he has a hard time sustaining contact with both inside and manhandlers and struggles to match up with opponents.

The most obvious reflection of this is that it is the fourth player with most personal fouls with a total of 26. Up front are Jabari Smith, Kelly Olynyk and Jarred Vanderbilt.

Currently allowing 1.00 points per possession in straights, 2.00 points catch&shoots1.14 in transitions and 1.08 in flushes.

the ugly one

As if nothing had changed since the fateful series against the Atlanta Hawks, Ben Simmons still allergic to scoring. And it’s that aside from pure finishes at the rim (executions more than anything else) where he’s hit 64.7% of his attempts, he hasn’t been productive in any other area. In painting, he adds a whopping 4 out of 15 (26.7%). This is the other area where he has attempted more than one shot.

His actual shooting percentage (% True Shot) is the lowest of his entire career at 45.6%, which puts him right behind Russell Westbrook (43.2%) overall in the league this season. What makes it different from Russ is that, at least, it shoots 3, the opposite of the Aussie.

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