When Will the Nets Panic & Bring Out Simmons?

[Moranis]

These games have been intense and fast-paced all throughout. Are we sure Simmons can just come in and act like nothing happened and he'll be in top form?? I still have my doubts. I mean literally, the recent reporting is that he's been doing 4 on 4 drills... not even 5 on 5 yet

Did the Nets even have a 5 on 5 practice?

[Cman]

Still feel like this is just Rich Paul pushing all this for whatever reason. Surely they wouldn't put that much pressure on him to come back if they're down 3-0, or even rush him back for game 3. For a member of the Nets from the beginning of the season - sure, maybe. For a traded player with mental/confidence issues who's coming off an injury and from an entirely different team - no way.

I would almost feel bad for Ben in that situation, as that's just asking for failure and an adverse event.

Agreed. I can't imagine they'll have him play.

[Roy H.]

Although Steve Nash said the decision to have Ben Simmons suit up in the post-season will be a “collective decision,” Simmons himself will ultimately have to give the okay, the head coach told reporters Wednesday morning in Boston.

“There’s no other way than him to say, ‘I’m ready,’ especially after an absence this long,” Nash said at the TD Garden. “So whenever he is ready, it’s gonna have to be on him to say, ‘I feel comfortable,’ ‘I feel ready to go,’ ‘I want to play,’ ‘I want to contribute.’ We can’t push him places when you have been out this long. It’s gotta be something where he’s definitely comfortable and ready to play.”

Nash said it will be “a collective decision” presumably including the team’s performance staff as well as the front office and coaching staff up to a point, but it’ll be on Simmons to say yes. Once again, Nash will have to deal with a unique decision, with no precedents, just as he was with Kyrie Irving’s part-time status.

However, as Adrian Wojnarowski reported early Wednesday afternoon, it’s getting more and more likely that Simmons will make his debut in black-and-white Saturday in Brooklyn, Game 4 ... if not earlier.

[slamtheking]

Although Steve Nash said the decision to have Ben Simmons suit up in the post-season will be a “collective decision,” Simmons himself will ultimately have to give the okay, the head coach told reporters Wednesday morning in Boston.

“There’s no other way than him to say, ‘I’m ready,’ especially after an absence this long,” Nash said at the TD Garden. “So whenever he is ready, it’s gonna have to be on him to say, ‘I feel comfortable,’ ‘I feel ready to go,’ ‘I want to play,’ ‘I want to contribute.’ We can’t push him places when you have been out this long. It’s gotta be something where he’s definitely comfortable and ready to play.”

Nash said it will be “a collective decision” presumably including the team’s performance staff as well as the front office and coaching staff up to a point, but it’ll be on Simmons to say yes. Once again, Nash will have to deal with a unique decision, with no precedents, just as he was with Kyrie Irving’s part-time status.

However, as Adrian Wojnarowski reported early Wednesday afternoon, it’s getting more and more likely that Simmons will make his debut in black-and-white Saturday in Brooklyn, Game 4 ... if not earlier.

good, just makes it back in time to experience being swept out of the playoffs in round 1   

[ozgod]

If I was Simmons ,  he better wear ear plugs I expect he’ll be catching a lot of unfavorable noise from the Garden too.

I guess GM Rich Paul forgot to tell Coach Nash that Simmons would be playing. I’m sure the conversation would have gone this way:

GM Rich Paul: Coach, I’ve decided that it’s time for Ben Simmons to suit up for us. Make sure he’s on the court in Game 4.

Coach Nash: Ben who?

 

[celticsclay]

These games have been intense and fast-paced all throughout. Are we sure Simmons can just come in and act like nothing happened and he'll be in top form?? I still have my doubts. I mean literally, the recent reporting is that he's been doing 4 on 4 drills... not even 5 on 5 yet

Did the Nets even have a 5 on 5 practice?

Report was 4-4 two to three days ago. I am sure this wasn't because there were only 8 people around.

[Phantom255x]

Series isn't over and I don't expect a sweep (though it'd be nice), but this actually made me laugh:

https://twitter.com/NBCsTheSlap/status/1516956586031333377

[Moranis]

These games have been intense and fast-paced all throughout. Are we sure Simmons can just come in and act like nothing happened and he'll be in top form?? I still have my doubts. I mean literally, the recent reporting is that he's been doing 4 on 4 drills... not even 5 on 5 yet

Did the Nets even have a 5 on 5 practice?

Report was 4-4 two to three days ago. I am sure this wasn't because there were only 8 people around.

well we don't know though, which is why I asked the question.  I'd honestly be surprised if the Nets were doing full 5 on 5 drills in practice in the middle of the playoffs.  So if the Nets weren't doing full 5 on 5 in practice, I don't know why Simmons would be.  I just didn't read the report as Simmons could only do 4 on 4 and couldn't do 5 on 5, but more as a report of what he did and I assume that is what he did because that is what the Nets actually did in practice that day. 

[seancally]

Anybody remember when Gordon Hayward missed an entire year due to injury and then returned? How… exactly did that go?

Edit: Also it’s weird to me that Simmons is deciding when he is ready to play, not the team doctors. I mean ostensibly his recent absences were due to the herniated disc, right? So… is he just deciding if he’s no longer injured? Or do the doctors decide?

…or, he was never injured.

[Phantom255x]

Anybody remember when Gordon Hayward missed an entire year due to injury and then returned? How… exactly did that go?

Edit: Also it’s weird to me that Simmons is deciding when he is ready to play, not the team doctors. I mean ostensibly his recent absences were due to the herniated disc, right? So… is he just deciding if he’s no longer injured? Or do the doctors decide?

…or, he was never injured.

The fact that Rich Paul, Woj, Windhorst, etc. seem to "know more" about Simmons' situation than the Nets coach (Nash) should pretty much tell you everything.

[wikkid1]

I'd rather have Simmons out there than Dragic or Mills, from a Celtic perspective.

Agreed, especially Dragic.  He always seems to shoot lights out against the C’s, not to mention his defense.

[celticsclay]

I haven't found an example from the last 50 years of basketball of a guy not playing basketball all year (let alone not being able to even run or play one on one for months) that came back and played in the playoffs (let alone made an impact). I, for the life of me, can't understand people building up simmons to be a boogie man like this. It is just very very bizarre. Are some fans just looking for something to be scared of? I am a lot more scared of a monster game from Kyrie or Durant (or even Curry hitting like 7 threes) more than I am a guy that has never played with his team or played in a year coming in and even making a slight positive impact. Why would this happen in the first time in the history of basketball? Making this even funnier is the fact that Simmons is famous for not being a hard worker or improving his game. His 76ers coaching staff famously asked in his 4th year, "is there anything this guy has improved on since we drafted him?"

[cman88]

so, Simmons hasnt played in over a year or even practiced. but is supposed to return next week in a playoff game with guys he hasnt played with and we are supposed to be scared?

has anyone come back after not playing a year to play with a bunch of guys he hasnt practiced with and had an impact?

[gouki88]

This whole situation just continues to smell fishier and fishier. The random progressions of his recovery from non-contact, to 4v4, to playing a playoff game, then there's Steve Nash not having any idea about it all.

Either he's completely underdone, yet will play and either be ineffective or hurt himself again - or, this is all a weird media play.

[hpantazo]

I haven't found an example from the last 50 years of basketball of a guy not playing basketball all year (let alone not being able to even run or play one on one for months) that came back and played in the playoffs (let alone made an impact). I, for the life of me, can't understand people building up simmons to be a boogie man like this. It is just very very bizarre. Are some fans just looking for something to be scared of? I am a lot more scared of a monster game from Kyrie or Durant (or even Curry hitting like 7 threes) more than I am a guy that has never played with his team or played in a year coming in and even making a slight positive impact. Why would this happen in the first time in the history of basketball? Making this even funnier is the fact that Simmons is famous for not being a hard worker or improving his game. His 76ers coaching staff famously asked in his 4th year, "is there anything this guy has improved on since we drafted him?"

Exactly. And yet people are still getting intimidated by random media reports that he's going around the Nets practice facility with the swagger of Michael Jordan, like he suddenly transformed into a tough-minded, ultra driven competitor. Basically the opposite of what he's shown all these years.