“This is a gifted and rare player, the likes of which I don’t often see in this league” - Skip Bayless believes a Ben Simmons return could make the Nets the favorites in the East
Since getting traded to the Brooklyn Nets, Ben Simmons is yet to feature for his new team, but TV personality Skip Bayless believes his presence on the court will help the Nets win the Eastern Conference title.
Despite a hot start to the season, the Nets found themselves struggling for a spot in the play-in tournament. A late rally led by Kevin Durant upon his return from injury helped the Nets seal a spot in the play-in. On April 12, they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-108 to clinch the seventh seed in the East.
The playoffs proper will commence on Saturday, and the Nets will square off against the Boston Celtics in the first round. There have been reports that Simmons has made significant progress in his recovery and is eyeing a return in Game 4 of the series.
BREAKING: Ben Simmons is targeting Game 4,5 and 6 of series with Celtics for his Nets debut, via ESPN.
Here we go. 👀 https://t.co/An7jRxOTdt
Simmons' return could be impactful for the Nets. It is no secret he is an outstanding talent, but his conditioning, physical and mental, is in question given all he has been through in the last year.
On the Skip and Shannon: Undisputed show, the question of how Simmons would contribute to the Nets' success in the playoffs came up, and Skip had this to say.
"This is a gifted and rare player, the likes of which I don't often see in this league because he's 6'10" and he's long and he's agile, and he made three straight All-Star teams, including the final year that we saw him play."
After raving about the Aussie's defensive prowess, he continued:
"All they really need him to do is play defense at the highest level and facilitate on offense, which he is really good at doing. He has some basketball genius about him because he's a very good passer of the basketball for a guy that tall."
"He has point guard skills to him. Running downhill with the basketball on the break, there aren't many any faster than Ben Simmons is when he hits full speed."
Report: Simmons targeting Nets debut in Celtics series
"If they got a healthy Ben Simmons, Brooklyn could win the East.” — @RealSkipBayless https://t.co/Vix0jeYmKc
The Nets have struggled defensively and will undoubtedly be a better defensive unit with Simmons on the floor. However, there is no telling how he will perform on such an intense occasion that the playoffs promises to be.
Can the Nets achieve a deep playoff run without Ben Simmons?
At the start of the season, the Nets were favorites to win the championship, but a lot has changed since then. James Harden was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons, while Kyrie Irving was on the verge of missing the entire season due to New York's COVID-19 mandate.
The Nets have two of the best bucket getters in the league, but it has always been said that defense wins championships, and that is where Simmons comes into play.
With the 6'11" Australian, the Nets are assured of an elite-level perimeter defense. Even though he's not a great scorer, his ability to push the pace and distribute the ball will be treasured.
People really forgot how good Ben Simmons is…
https://t.co/QpC1jRdC5g
The Nets will undoubtedly be a stronger unit with Simmons, but they have enough firepower in Kyrie and KD to make some noise. Although they are not one of the favorites right now, they cannot be written off.