“It was evident that Ben wanted to take the high road” - Marc J. Spears believes Ben Simmons was holding back in his first press conference as a Brooklyn Nets player
The Ben Simmons saga finally ended with him being traded to the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday. Now that he is back, he is again required to do news conferences, and in his first one, his exit from the Philadelphia 76ers was bound to come up.
Marc J. Spears, one of the best NBA journalists and insiders, went on ESPN directly after attending the news conference to talk about it. When host Max Kellerman asked Spears to provide his biggest takeaway, he said:
“That he was holding back. I think there were a lot of things that he wanted to say, and it was evident that Ben wanted to take the high road. … But the main thing that Ben was saying is, ‘I want to move on, and I am not going to get into it.’”
Simmons's time with the 76ers was not a cakewalk, ending with him requesting to be traded early in the offseason and then sitting out all season. It was clear Simmons did not get along with 76ers star Joel Embiid, only making the situation worse for Simmons.
It makes sense that Simmons would like to move on and focus on his new team. But maybe down the line, Simmons could open up more, sharing what went through his mind over the last few months. With the Nets, it seems like a better situation. Simmons' unwillingness to go into detail now could be a hint to his true character that Nets fans could see from their new young All-Star.
When could Ben Simmons play for the Nets?
Ben Simmons has not played in an NBA game since Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals in May. It's unclear what physical condition he is in. But with so much time from when he last stepped on an NBA court, it will be a little while until he plays.
In his first news conference with the Nets, he made it clear he was ramping up and getting ready to return, but with no clear timetable. It is unclear if the Nets could try to get him back sooner than later due to Kevin Durant being out with an injury and Kyrie Irving's part-time status.
Ben Simmons says "No date," but he's "starting to ramp it up."
Bringing him on sooner than he is ready could add talent, with the Nets winning only one of their last 12 games. It will also take Simmons time to get back to complete NBA speed, and starting him off early could quicken the process, with under 30 games left before the playoffs.
However, the downside of rushing him back could lead to injuries, which the Nets desperately need to avoid. The Nets will likely wait until Simmons gives the green light that he can go before deciding.
Ben Simmons says he hopes to play against the 76ers in Philadelphia in a couple weeks 👀 https://t.co/JxNNfMVR41
The first week of March might be an ideal time, giving him two weeks to ramp up and a few games before the Nets travel to Philadelphia for a must-watch game March 10.