“I'm a defensive guy, so all of them sound like shrimps to me, someone that can guard one through five” – Patrick Beverley praises Ben Simmons
Ben Simmons will be one of the most watched players in the NBA this season.
After being traded last season to the Nets, the guard/forward did not play for the team due to a back injury. Simmons is now healthy and will be a big part of what the Nets are trying to accomplish.
Brooklyn seems like a good place for Simmons, considering he will be playing alongside Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. One of the main criticisms of Simmons is that he doesn’t shoot the ball, especially from the outside. With shooters like Irving and Durant, the pressure to be a big shot-maker should not be on Simmons.
On the “Pat Bev Podcast with Rone,” co-host Patrick Beverley shared his thoughts on Simmons:
"I'm a defensive guy, so you know all them sound like shrimps to me someone that can guard one through five, rebound it well."
Nets need to improve internal relationships
Part of the Nets' future this season will depend upon how well they mend some of their relationships within the organization. Kevin Durant is the team's biggest star, and his trade demand and ultimatum this summer had to cause some rifts.
Part of Durant’s conditions for him to stay was that nash-sean-marks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks be replaced. Durant stayed, and both Marks and Nash are still in place. They will have to put all of that behind them and function as a united front for the team to be successful.
The Nets will also have to deal with Kyrie Irving, who also wanted out this summer but ended up opting into the last year of his contract.
Irving is one of the league's most dynamic players, but his availability has been an issue all three seasons in Brooklyn, playing just 103 of 226 games. Will he be a consistent team member this year? How is his relationship with Durant and Nash? Those will have to be mended for the team to reach its goals.
Nets a contender for the title run
The Brooklyn Nets have all the pieces in place to be successful. The team is one year removed from going seven Eastern Conference semifinal games with the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks. If Durant had stepped one inch back when he took the last shot, it could have changed a lot of things. Although the team was swept by the Celtics in the first round last season, this team is still talented.
The team had a lot of injuries last season and never really had their full lineup on the floor. If Irving and Durant return to form and Simmons provides dynamic playmaking, this team has a chance to beat anyone.