During the Brooklyn Nets' 2024-25 season opener against the Atlanta Hawks, Ben Simmons took the floor for the first time since Feb. 26, 2024. Simmons did not play a perfect game, but he was an effective contributor on both ends of the court. In some ways, his old habits remained the same, but in others, he was highly encouraging.
Simmons played 24 minutes and amassed six points, eight assists, five rebounds, and one steal. He shot 3-for-4 from the field, which was a strong percentage, but the fact that he only attempted four shots was concerning. One of Simmons' most pressing criticisms from his two-year Nets tenure has been his lack of assertiveness on offense. He needs to take more than four shots a game to address this issue.
Simmons started the first half of Wednesday night's game strong, but in the second, he seemed to fade away. The forward owned up to his mishaps from the night and understood his need to be better.
"I think I was a little gassed in that 1st half, but they definitely turned the physicality up [in the 2nd]. That's on me to stay with it and keep attacking and still get my looks and not give the ball up to whoever I think is open," Simmons said during the postgame press conference, per Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.
Ben Simmons' first game of the 2024-25 campaign may not seem like something to get excited about, but his accountability is.
Simmons' comments make it clear that he strives for more
Countless fans and analysts have questioned Simmons' motivation, given situations where he seemingly lacks assertive intent, particularly offensively. He is not always going to play flawlessly, and dealing with injuries has made it difficult for Simmons to play up to his potential with the Nets. However, he is trending in the right direction.
Simmons' comments signal that he will not settle for his season-opening performance. He wants to be more involved and make a greater impact to give Brooklyn a better chance to win. Of course, part of Simmons' performance could be tied to the Nets' limited playmaking. Simmons is the Nets' go-to ballhandler outside of Dennis Schroder, so it is possible Simmons wanted to focus more on distributing against the Hawks.
Moreover, having a big-time scorer like Cam Thomas along with the rest of Brooklyn's floor spacers takes pressure off Simmons to score. But the point is Simmons noticed where he can improve, and fans can expect more out of him in the team's upcoming matchups.
It will only be a matter of time before Simmons' revitalization reaches its peak, and when it happens, Brooklyn will be that much better.