Ben Simmons was officially introduced as a member of the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, and he told reporters that he's yet to schedule a date for his debut. The three-time All-Star hasn't played a single game since last June, as drama between him and the Philadelphia 76ers created a cold war and resulted in a blockbuster trade last week.
The multiplayer trade -- which sent Simmons, Andre Drummond, Seth Curry, and two first-round picks to the Nets in exchange for star James Harden and veteran Paul Millsap -- has reshaped the East's playoff picture. And although Brooklyn is now without one-third of its former superstar trio, SI.com writer Howard Beck believes the team improved by acquiring the trade package.
"I thought the Nets did really well. And listen, there's a huge caveat here -- we haven't seen Simmons play since last spring," Beck told the Reiter Than You show on Wednesday. "We've got to see where he is, physically and mentally, because those things have been a focus. But, in concepts, I think this Nets team is actually better than the one they had.
"I like the Simmons fit with Durant and Kyrie Irving. Granted, Kyrie Irving is only playing road games at the moment. But as a facilitator, as a brilliant passer, as an incredibly versatile defender -- one of the best in the NBA -- Simmons is a better complement to the two stars they have, who can already do all of the scoring. They didn't necessarily need three elite scorers. So, I like Simmons and the ancillary pieces they got."
Simmons' relationship with Philadelphia was broken for several months, as he first requested a trade following the team's playoff series loss to the underdog Atlanta Hawks. In Game 7 of the East semifinals, the 25-year-old scored seven points on four shot attempts, and in 12 total playoff games, he produced the worst free throw rate (25-for-73, 34-percent) in NBA postseason history.
Brooklyn (30-27), which snapped a ghastly 11-game losing skid on Monday, is currently the eighth seed in the East standings. According to projections from FiveThirtyEight, the Nets have a 67-percent chance to reach the playoffs and just a 2-percent chance to make the NBA Finals. On Mar. 10, Brooklyn will be reunited with Harden in a road matchup against Philadelphia.
The entire NBA conversation between Beck and Reiter can be accessed in the audio player above.
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