“If I’m not aggressive, this team’s not going, so I gotta be the motor”- Ben Simmons says Brooklyn Nets have encouraged him to be aggressive to have a chance at success
Ben Simmons will be on the hot seat this season. The former Philadelphia 76ers star is currently gearing up for his first season with the Brooklyn Nets. To say the eyes of the NBA community are fixated on him is an understatement. After being traded to Brooklyn last season, the team hoped Simmons would be able to provide some much-needed firepower in Kyrie Irving's absence.
Unfortunately for both Ben Simmons and the Nets, lingering back problems and mental health struggles forced the three-time NBA All-Star to miss the entirety of the season. With hopes high in Brooklyn that a healthy Simmons can help lift the team to an Eastern Conference Finals berth, many fans are anxious to see how the young star looks this season after missing a full season.
The way his teammates see things, Simmons must be aggressive and active on the offensive end, without holding back and second-guessing himself. For a player who has missed considerable time due to mental health struggles, the task could be a difficult one. With the Nets ready to kick off their season this week, Simmons discussed the situation with the NY Post's Brian Lewis.
"If I'm not aggressive, this team's not going. If I'm not pushing the ball, if I'm not finding my guys, if I'm not getting to the rim than those easy shots that we get now are not going to happen. So I got to be the motor."
The comments have been consistent with those other players and analysts have made over the course of Simmons' career. As you can see below, NBA vet Quentin Richardson was calling for Ben Simmons to be more aggressive back during his time with the Philadelphia 76ers as well.
Ben Simmons & The Brooklyn Nets 2022-23 NBA Season
It's no secret that this will be an incredibly pivotal season for Ben Simmons and the Brooklyn Nets. Although Simmons has continued to dominate headlines, given the fact that his exit from Philadelphia was controversial, Kyrie Irving also could find himself in the hot seat.
Over the course of his three seasons with the Brooklyn Nets, Irving has continued to miss significant amounts of time. In his first season, Irving played in just 20 games due to a shoulder injury. The following season he had an impressive run over the course of 54 games played. However, he wound up missing time in the playoffs due to an ankle injury.
Most recently, Irving sat out the majority of the 2021-22 season after being declared ineligible due to his vaccination status. Fortunately for the Brooklyn Nets, with a healthy Irving eligible and ready to play, and Ben Simmons locked in and eager to return to his All-Star form, things are looking up for the franchise.
Should Simmons find it in him to return to his previous form and play aggressive like NBA fans know he's capable of, the team could be poised for a dominant season. In fact, analysts like Jalen Rose have gone so far as to predict that, with Simmons healthy, the Nets will win the Eastern Conference. With the team's season set to kick off tonight against the Pelicans, only time will tell what the future holds for the team.