One of the great traditions in sports is back with Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons getting ready for the upcoming NBA season in an offseason workout video.
This time is different, though, because Simmons has the backing of trainer Chris Brickley. The veteran skills coach, in response to a fan comment on X, said “trust me on this one” when vouching for the three-time All-Star being better now than during his peak seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Brickley recently posted a video of himself working with Simmons to iron out his shooting form this summer going into the 2024-25 NBA season.
Brickley has been a go-to shooting coach for some of the best players in basketball. He has worked with LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd.
There’s no argument that Brickley has the resume to earn some trust, but Simmons has been such a hard player to figure out for a number of reasons.
The biggest factor for Simmons will be staying on the court. He has played a total of 57 games over the past three seasons during which time he has had back surgery two different times.
If we can assume that Simmons really is healthy and will be able to play most of the season for the Nets, the next step will be seeing him actually put to use the coaching he has received from Brickley into games.
It’s very easy to be skeptical this will happen. Videos of Simmons taking jumpers have been a staple of virtually every offseason since he entered the NBA. Here is one from August 2019 that led to excitement he was going to expand his offensive game.
Simmons had a very good 2019-20 season, earning an All-Star nod and a spot on the All-Defensive first team. But he took a grand total of seven three-pointers in 57 games and almost all of his made field goals came in the restricted area.
Playing for the Nets does allow Simmons to experiment with his game because their expectations are so low. They finished 32-50 last season and traded Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks in July.
If ever there was a season for Simmons to show that he can be a capable jump-shooter in the NBA, it would be the 2024-25 campaign. He’s going to become a free agent next summer and his long-term outlook in the NBA is uncertain due to his injury woes in recent years.
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