As Ben Simmons sits on the Nets bench, watching his new team fall behind two games to none to the surging Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, he can't help but envision how the game would flow if he were on the floor.
"He should be there," Simmons may find himself thinking when he sees the way his teammates are positioned.
"He should have cut."
That court vision is part of what has made Simmons an All-Star at the NBA level, despite his well-documented shooting struggles. Simmons, when on the floor, brings a heightened court vision and elite defense, two things Brooklyn needs to climb out of its 2-0 hole.
The big caveat for Simmons is the fact that he hasn't been able to be on the floor. More than two months after being traded to the Nets, who suddenly and unexpectedly had to blow up their superstar trio due to an unhappy James Harden, Simmons still hasn't suited up for his new team, trying to fight off a back injury that flared up while he was conditioning his body for game action. That first taste of game action could be coming on Monday in game four, when Brooklyn will either be looking to tie the series or fight off elimination.
"Body-wise, once my body is right, I wanna be able to help this team win," Simmons said. "That's what I'm here for."
So far this series, the Nets have had no answer for Jayson Tatum and the Celtics. In game one, a win escaped their grasp when Tatum knocked down the game-winning shot as time expired, in a possession where Brooklyn looked discombobulated on the defensive end. Simmons' defensive pedigree, even with a year of rust due to inaction, would almost certainly have been helpful in that instance.
Three nights later, a 17-point lead vanished while Kevin Durant missed all 10 field goal attempts in the second half. Would Simmons' facilitating helped Durant find more open shots?
It's hard to say for sure, but Simmons is certainly frustrated being forced to wonder what the series would look like if he was able to be on the floor.
"It's so frustrating," Simmons said. "Especially when you're not out there being able to contribute. But I'm doing what I can, being vocal on the bench, talking to my guys, helping where I can. Little things like that. I'm just doing what I can at this moment."
One year ago, Simmons was viewed as a wart in the 76ers offense, his shooting struggles (he took just 14 field goal attempts in the final three games of the Eastern Conference semifinals, passed on wide-open layups, and missed 10 free throws in a game five loss) seen as the catalyst behind the team's elimination from the playoffs. he hasn't played in an NBA game since, and now, he is being seen as a hopeful savior, a missing piece for a Nets team that came into the season as a trendy title favorite, but is now inching closer to an early exit.
Multiple reports indicate that Simmons will be on the court for game four, barring any setbacks. Simmons, who said it's "reasonable" to expect him then, and the Nets have clearly been careful with his rehab, but that doesn't mean patience has been easy.
"I gotta get on the floor and help this team win," Simmons said. "I've been traded to the Brooklyn Nets, and that's what they need me to do. That's my focus right now."
There were still be plenty of questions if and when Simmons makes his Nets, and his season, debut: will he be able to handle playoff intensity against Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart and company in his first game action in a full year? Will he have any kind of worthwhile chemistry with teammates he has never shared the floor with?
Simmons isn't worried about the latter. He has been envisioning exactly what he would do on the floor with the Nets since watching his new team from the pine.
"I'll fit in," Simmons said confidently. "I'm not worried about that. My IQ is so high, to play with guys like [Kyrie Irving], Seth [Curry], [Durant]...I know how they want to play."
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