"He has to face his Philly demons at some point" - Chris Broussard believes that Ben Simmons will be better off facing 76ers in their March 11th clash with Nets
NBA and Brooklyn Nets superstar Ben Simmons' eagerly anticipated return to the court has been the topic of conversation in the NBA for quite some time now.
On Fox Sports' morning show First Things First, sports media personality Chris Broussard spoke about how Simmons is better off facing his demons by participating in the matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers on March 10th as opposed to sitting it out. Broussard said:
"We know it's a huge mental hurdle for Ben Simmons to go back to Philadelphia and play, but he has to get over it at some point and I'd rather go back and deal with it in a regular season game in March than in a playoff game in May."
Broussard continued by saying that Simmons needs to face the challenge of going back to Philly head-on and getting over it as the Nets could very well face the Sixers in the postseason this year. Broussard continued:
"And it's not going to get any easier, it's going to be bad every time. But Ben has to be able to look back at himself and say, 'you know what I got through it. I faced it, I dealt with it, it's over'."
"We know it's a huge mental hurdle for Ben Simmons to go back to Philly & play, but he has to get over it at some point. I'd rather deal with it in a regular season game in March than in a playoff game in May. He has to face his Philly demons at some point." — @Chris_Broussard https://t.co/bTogm5PJTz
Should Ben Simmons play on March 10th against the 76ers?
With Ben Simmons not having played a single minute this season, it has been 250 days since his last NBA game. His conditioning is going to be completely shot at the moment and that should be the priority for the Nets. That, and integrating him into the team with new teammates.
The game against the Philadelphia 76ers on March 10th is an opportunity for Simmons to return to the place he called home for four years. It also provides him with an opportunity to face the fans that have heckled and lambasted him ever since Game 7 against the Atlanta Hawks last season.
Ben Simmons is nearing his Brooklyn debut, per @ramonashelburne
Simmons plans to "really ramp it up" this week https://t.co/WafP72ojhf
The Nets have seven games to play before their clash against the Sixers. Seven games for Simmons to ramp up his conditioning and understand his teammates better on the court. Ben Simmons will be given the duty of being the primary ball handler and will be surrounded by bonafide sharpshooters like Kyrie Irving and Seth Curry, with Kevin Durant's return still not public knowledge. He will need time to understand his teammates and how they function.
It could be a statement game for Simmons as he could prove his doubters wrong in Philly, but the flipside is that it could also be a game where he could crumble under pressure. Either way, the Nets-76ers game on March 10th is set to witness an electric atmosphere.