Doc Rivers Says Nets’ Ben Simmons Can Get Back to Being Player He Was with 76ers
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Ben Simmons was once a talented player with a bright future, but he’s lost whatever magic he had since holding out from the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2021-22 season before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets.
Whenever Simmons suits up against his former team, there’s a lot of talk about the player he used to be, and 76ers head coach Doc Rivers believes the veteran point guard can get back to that by putting in the work.
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Doc on Simmons: “I believe he can get back to where he was with us. Especially now I think because he’ll have the ball in his hands more… it’s just going to take time now it’s been a year and a half. I don’t think it will be overnight but he’s working and that’s all you can do”
Entering Saturday’s game against the Sixers, Simmons was averaging just 7.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 39 games this season while shooting 56.6 percent from the floor.
It’s a significant downfall from his days with the Sixers in which he averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists in 275 games across four seasons while shooting 56 percent from the floor.
If Simmons can’t get back to the player he once was, fans are going to have to lower their expectations for the former No. 1 overall pick.
