Ben Simmons (not) back for Game 4

[colincb]

ESPN:

Coach Steve Nash said Simmons scrimmaged 3-on-3 Saturday morning and had no setbacks. He said it's possible Simmons plays in Game 4 but cautioned that given his long layoff, with his herniated disk at the end of it, that there was more to consider than if Simmons felt good after his workouts.

"There's a lot of bigger picture, bigger context to how he's feeling, how able he would be to adapt to the environment," Nash said. "It's a little different than playing a game that's stashed away in the middle of the regular season, so I think that there's a few factors at play here to evaluate when he's ready to play."

The people pushing the narrative that Simmons will return for sure Game 4 is Rich Paul, Woj and a few other ESPN guys. Nash has basically been saying this the entire time and we haven't heard much else definitively about Simmons.

I mean, I know they say he's back Game 4 but if we find out he's not playing Game 4 will anyone really be surprised? I wouldn't. I think he'll play limited minutes but if he doesn't, I wouldn't be shocked

I'd be very surprised if Simmons plays now that the Nets are down 3-0. The risk/reward ratio is very unfavorable.

[jpotter33]

Haha they were just talking about this on the halftime show.

Jalen says not happening now.

Smith says if you can play Monday, then "why the hell are you not playing tonight?!"

Green finishes it off with what we're all thinking: "This has been such a strange scenario with Simmons."

[SCeltic34]

So if you're Nash, what are your game 4 adjustments?  I don't think he's really had an idea of how to adjust yet this series.  The Blake Griffin experiment was cute (born out of desperation, really) but it didn't work.  Start Aldridge instead of Drummond?  Aldridge is a defensive liability like Griffin, but their defense is suspect with Drummond anyway.  They need more space for Kyrie and Durant.  LMA can at least pick and pop.

[Moranis]

Tell Durant to shoot the ball

[Birdman]

Just stay on the bench Ben, it’s over for ur team!!!!’

[LilRip]

Simmons isn’t the answer. It makes the Nets more defendable, imo, because Ben can’t shoot.

I think the answer (if I was Nash) lies in 2 big adjustments:
1) KD needs to catch earlier and out of the post. Probably even bring it up. KD is facing doubles before, during and after the catch. They need to alleviate that
2) Go small/with shooting. This means Drummond and Claxton’s minutes will take a huge hit. This means Mills and Dragic have to somehow defend and rebound. Not ideal but it does (again) alleviate pressure from doubling KD

Uphill battle for the Nets, for sure. C’s are looking so dominant

[SHAQATTACK]

6-10 whining sissy   

They ll steal his lunch money too.

[Surferdad]

Simmons isn’t the answer. It makes the Nets more defendable, imo, because Ben can’t shoot.

I think the answer (if I was Nash) lies in 2 big adjustments:
1) KD needs to catch earlier and out of the post. Probably even bring it up. KD is facing doubles before, during and after the catch. They need to alleviate that
2) Go small/with shooting. This means Drummond and Claxton’s minutes will take a huge hit. This means Mills and Dragic have to somehow defend and rebound. Not ideal but it does (again) alleviate pressure from doubling KD

Uphill battle for the Nets, for sure. C’s are looking so dominant

Good ideas, but Nash is incompetent and the players don't listen to him.

[Wretch]

Simmons isn’t the answer. It makes the Nets more defendable, imo, because Ben can’t shoot.

I think the answer (if I was Nash) lies in 2 big adjustments:
1) KD needs to catch earlier and out of the post. Probably even bring it up. KD is facing doubles before, during and after the catch. They need to alleviate that
2) Go small/with shooting. This means Drummond and Claxton’s minutes will take a huge hit. This means Mills and Dragic have to somehow defend and rebound. Not ideal but it does (again) alleviate pressure from doubling KD

Uphill battle for the Nets, for sure. C’s are looking so dominant

Good ideas, but Nash is incompetent and the players don't listen to him.

Nash is a smart guy and is probably a good coach but I think your second point is the key. KD and KI (especially KI) are not known for being coachable. 

When the Nets were healthy last year they played well enough to win it all. Part of that has to be attributed the coaches.

[td450]

Simmons isn’t the answer. It makes the Nets more defendable, imo, because Ben can’t shoot.

I think the answer (if I was Nash) lies in 2 big adjustments:
1) KD needs to catch earlier and out of the post. Probably even bring it up. KD is facing doubles before, during and after the catch. They need to alleviate that
2) Go small/with shooting. This means Drummond and Claxton’s minutes will take a huge hit. This means Mills and Dragic have to somehow defend and rebound. Not ideal but it does (again) alleviate pressure from doubling KD

Uphill battle for the Nets, for sure. C’s are looking so dominant

The reason we have the best defense in the NBA is that we have a scheme and bigs that can cover perimeter players in space. Mills and Dragic are older guys who no longer can be counted on to punish defenses over the course of an entire game. It is so impressive that Udoka and the players aren't getting distracted when Bruce Brown scores like crazy or when Dragic hits a few threes. We don't care. They can't beat us. The other Nets are doing their job. Its just that Durant and Irving aren't meeting the moment.

if they don't play a big, we eat them alive on offense. Not only our bigs, but Tatum and Brown have no one at the rim to deal with.

I actually think the Nets coaching has been outstanding. Three close games. There is no solution anyone could come up with if Durant and Irving can't dominate.

[Who]

Why bother? The series is over.

Protect your player's long term health. Give him the summer to get fully healthy, give him a full training camp to get acclimated and let him start over from there.

[BringToughnessBack]

You know who would really help the Nets in this series, the player who demanded to be traded and was...Harden...He literally forced his way off the team and that tells me something might not be Kosher in that locker room with the top 2.

Simmons is definitely not the answer.

[coco]

The media is all over KD, but the dude almost had a triple double on Game 3.

Cs almost lost game 1, and Nets were up most of Game 2.

I think Cs as a team should get the credit they deserve to pull what could seem as improbable victories Games 1 and 2.


...it's weird

[Phantom255x]

You know who would really help the Nets in this series, the player who demanded to be traded and was...Harden...He literally forced his way off the team and that tells me something might not be Kosher in that locker room with the top 2.

Simmons is definitely not the answer.

Yeah people also forget, in last year's series vs. Boston I thought Harden was overall the best player. It's not just his scoring, but he's capable of facilitating as well which is something I'm not seeing much of this series from the Nets.

Harden may have been the guy holding it together for the Nets over the past year but it seems even he got sick of Kyrie. Assuming the Nets lose the series soon, I think Harden looks like the biggest winner here.

[coco]

You know who would really help the Nets in this series, the player who demanded to be traded and was...Harden...He literally forced his way off the team and that tells me something might not be Kosher in that locker room with the top 2.

Simmons is definitely not the answer.

Yeah people also forget, in last year's series vs. Boston I thought Harden was overall the best player. It's not just his scoring, but he's capable of facilitating as well which is something I'm not seeing much of this series from the Nets.

Harden may have been the guy holding it together for the Nets over the past year but it seems even he got sick of Kyrie. Assuming the Nets lose the series soon, I think Harden looks like the biggest winner here.

I Agree.
Kyre presence in the locker room and team as a whole; has a shelf-life
Nets in at a cross roads with Kyrie.  Pay him and live with his mood swings? or else?