The Nets are seeing something new this training camp: a healthy Ben Simmons.
But it wasn't initially known as a rookie until the point guard said Friday he didn't feel “100 percent” in training camp a year ago.
The Nets star was thought to be healthy until he suffered a back injury after appearing in the first five games of the season.
Simmons missed 67 of the Nets' 82 games due to knee issues.
Speaking with reporters after practice, Simmons appeared to start the season with a new herniated disc, but a repeat injury problem could have been avoided in the 2023 season.
“Physically, I feel like I'm ready to play at a high level,” Simmons said of his changed mood heading into training camp for the 2024-25 season. “Last year, I got to a level good enough to be on the court, but I wasn't 100 percent. It was the situation — it was — but at the end of the day, I'm here now and I'm not 100 percent. It feels great and I put in a lot of time and effort.”
“I was playing with another herniated disc, so that was probably a big reason,” he added of his modified rehab process from last year. “This is my second surgery in the last few years. Same situation, different area in the back, but now the problem is resolved and I feel good and ready to go.”
Simmons hasn't admitted to feeling any pressure to play this year, but he seemed to rush through the process to contribute on the court last year.
“I want to compete and help my teammates win. When you're in a position like that, obviously you want to do what you can and get what you have, and that's what I want to do. “That’s what we did last year,” he said. “Whether I was healthy or not, I tried to do what I could for the team while I had the opportunity to play.”
Simmons, a former Rookie of the Year, was with the 76ers in 2020 on a five-year, $177 million contract that included Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round draft picks. He was acquired by the Nets along with his name. James Harden and Paul Millsap in February 2022.
He was expected to take home a championship as part of the Big Three along with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
However, his injury continued the story of his expensive Nets career.
Simmons has missed 189 of 246 games over the past three seasons and has had two microscopic partial resections due to nerve impingement in his back, most recently in March of this year.
Simmons will be paid $86 for the 57 games he has played in the Nets' 191 games since being added to the roster. The average score is only 6.7 points, but that's 3 million points.
Now healthy and having spent a lot of money, the Nets are hoping to finally evoke his vintage self, a three-time All-Star in Philadelphia who averaged 15.9 points, 7.7 assists and 8.1 rebounds. There is.
“It feels great,” Simmons said. “Physically, I'm fine. I'm ready.”
Simmons, who joins a new scene without Durant, Irving and Mikal Bridges (the top player in the deal that sent Durant to Phoenix and joined the Knicks this summer), will be trusted with Nic Claxton to play on the road. He will have a heavy responsibility. A team in a rebuilding year.
Over the past two seasons, the Nets have gone 31-26 with Simmons on the court and 46-61 without him.
Simmons will make $40.3 million in the final year of his contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer, so staying healthy will be paramount for the Nets' strong season and his future. .
“You can't do anything on the basketball court if your body isn't ready, right? It's that simple,” Simmons said. “I'm not going to run down a hill or jump into a 7-foot guy. It just doesn't make sense. But I feel great right now. I'm starting to trust my body more and more with each rep. So that's good.
