Hornets coach Steve Clifford gives his take on Ben Simmons

“When you have a guy like Ben, and he’s playing only so many games, people forget he’s on the roster. You're not gonna be nearly the team you can when you have an All-Star caliber player, making that much of the salary cap, not playing much,” Clifford said in his post-game presser after the Hornets’ win against Brooklyn. 

“That’s the way it is. What happens is when guys are out for the season and don’t play much, it’s easy for fans to look at it and forget about it. You can’t make up for that.”

A retrospective look at the Simmons trade

Whenever Ben faces an injury, the Nets fan base harkens back to what happened with the Simmons trade. It happened because of James Harden’s desire to leave Brooklyn and play in Philadelphia. Nets general manager Sean Marks had no choice but to send Harden to Philly in exchange for Simmons in the deal.

At that point, the Aussie’s value was low due to his meltdown against the Hawks in the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals. However, everyone within the Nets organization believed Ben could reach his All-Star form again.

Simmons has only played 57 games since 2022, which is unfortunate for him and the Nets. The Aussie guard wants to play, but his body keeps failing him.

What is next for Ben?

Simmons is determined to return and play for the Nets again. He is entering the final year of his hefty contract, so playing well when he returns will be crucial in extending his NBA career.

If he can sort out his nerve impingement issue, the sky is the limit for Ben. The Nets already have a good foundation with Cameron Thomas and Mikal Bridges. Simmons must improve his health because if he can’t, he won’t be in Brooklyn if he keeps having trouble with injuries, considering the Nets want to keep winning with those present all the time.