After receiving a laughable 2024 season record projection, the Brooklyn Nets have impressed through the early part of the year. The Nets are coming off an admirable 116-115 win over the Charlotte Hornets in their second NBA Cup matchup. There were several strong contributors from the game, but Ben Simmons especially stood out. His performance leads to the first reason why his breakout in the borough is looming.
1. Simmons comes off one of his best games of early 2024-25
Simmons ended Tuesday's Hornets win with a season-high 10 points on 62.5 percent shooting from the field along with nine rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and one steal. His all-around impact was on display, but his scoring outing was the real eye-catcher. It was the first time Simmons scored a double-digit mark since Brooklyn's Oct. 14 preseason win over the Washington Wizards.
Furthermore, the seventh-year center attempted eight shots against the Hornets on Tuesday, his most of the 2024-25 campaign. Simmons' offensive surge could signal greater contributions that are soon to come, and the support he has behind him only helps his case.
2. Jordi Fernandez won't stop encouraging Simmons
Fernandez challenged Simmons to get his shot attempts up to between 10 and 15 per game after his five-attempt outing against the Orlando Magic on Oct. 25. Then, Fernandez issued a similar request after Simmons attempted just four shots in the Nets' Nov. 4 loss to the Detroit Pistons, saying he wanted Simmons to shoot more and that the forward was "more than capable" of doing so.
Simmons had an encouraging showing against the Hornets, but Fernandez once again signaled his desire and confidence in Simmons to be more assertive on offense amid the forward's low free-throw attempt average:
"Like I said before, I want him to be aggressive and attempt more shots, so that’s my goal right now to get his attempts to go up, but I’m not worried about the free throws," Fernandez said after the Charlotte win, per Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.
The positive reinforcement will help Ben Simmons improve, and he is already showing his ability to do well in other areas.
3. Simmons' playmaking and defense are catalysts for offense
Through his first 11 games of 2024-25, Simmons averages 6.8 assists and 0.9 steals per contest. Both are increases from his 2023 campaign with the Nets where he averaged 5.7 and 0.8, respectively. The best part is those numbers can still increase, as it is still early in the season.
There is no question of Simmons' playmaking and defensive impact for Brooklyn. It is frustrating to see his lack of offensive assertiveness, but the more he runs and creates for his team, the more he might be inclined to take shots and restore himself to the true two-way threat he once was.
It would not be surprising to see Simmons achieve a double-double that includes at least 10 points soon. His breakout is imminent, and Nets fans won't want to miss it.