Ben Simmons trade: Brooklyn Nets move could speed up Aussie’s return to green and gold, says Goorjian
Since June last year, Ben Simmons has racked up a a barely believable $26.5 million in fines. That’s over now, but will a blockbuster move to Brooklyn pay off for the Aussie star?
Boomers coach Brian Goorjian believes Ben Simmons will benefit enormously from having fellow Australian Patty Mills alongside him at the Brooklyn Nets following the under-fire guard’s blockbuster NBA trade.
Goorjian’s joy comes as the Simmons trade standoff with the Philadelphia 76ers — the ugliest in NBA history — is finally over.
After almost seven months of sitting on the sidelines, the disgruntled star is Brooklyn bound, where he will join big names Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Aussie veteran Mills.
The blockbuster trade news was broken on Friday morning, revealing that Simmons is on his way to the Nets along with Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two-first round picks.
Brooklyn, meanwhile, is including Paul Millsap in the deal along with superstar James Harden to Philadelphia.
Both franchises confirmed the trade on Friday afternoon.
Goorjian welcomed the trade to the star-studded Nets as a “great” result for Simmons and Australian basketball.
He labelled Mills the perfect role model for the Melbourne-born guard to work alongside day-to-day, and that’s only a positive with the Paris 2024 Olympics fast approaching.
Simmons looked set to play for the Boomers at the 2019 World Cup and at last year’s Tokyo Olympics before opting to withdraw on both occasions to focus on his NBA career.
Goorjian would love to see the now Nets star in the green and gold one day and he thinks Mills could play a vital role.
“Patty is a winner — he is also a great teammate, and he has a relationship with Ben,” Goorjian told News Corp.
“The final piece is that Patty is a Boomer and Ben will get to see, hear and touch daily our Australian culture because Patty exudes that in whatever environment he is in.”
Goorjian also expects Simmons to help Mills take his game to another level, creating more space for the Boomers veteran to continue his career-best shooting season.
“Ben is going to be hugely beneficial to Patty,” he said.
“Patty is looking like one of the better spot-up shooters in the NBA right now and who better to deliver you the ball on the spots than Ben.
“That is what Ben does — he makes people around him better.”
Mills says Simmons is “in a real good place right now” and talks about what he can bring to Brooklyn.
"I've got his back. I've always had his back, and now I have the opportunity to be with him. I've had his back from afar and I wish I was with him earlier in his career" - Patty Mills on Ben Simmons. pic.twitter.com/bWmgPEGGYW
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) February 11, 2022
“You get a really hungry person who’s looking forward to playing basketball again, especially with our group,” Mills told the media on Friday.
“I’ve got his back. I’ve always had his back, and now I have the opportunity to be with him. I’ve had his back from afar and I wish I was with him earlier in his career, so I’m excited to be with him in this aspect.”
Goorjian also feels the trade to the Nets can revive Simmons’ promising NBA career, on and off the court.
“From a personal standpoint, I’m just so happy for Ben and I’m really excited for everybody,” he said.
“He is such a great talent; I’ve got a past with my brother Kevin having coached him (at Box Hill in Melbourne) and I care about the kid — I really do.
“He is an Australian, he is part of our family, this has been a really tough situation and one that needed to change.
“So, just to hear that there is a move and Ben is going to move on from a situation that wasn’t salvageable, I’m happy.
“He is now going to a place (Brooklyn) that has a lot going for it and has the prospects of winning a championship.”
Simmons’ trade to Brooklyn will also stop the bleeding in regard to fines from Philadelphia for sitting on the sidelines.
Since June last year, the Aussie has surpassed $A26.5 million in fines this season (57 per cent of his salary).
Simmons’ move to the Nets has opened the door for Philadelphia to form one of the NBA’s best one-two punches through Harden and star centre Joel Embiid.
Harden has been frustrated in Brooklyn for some time, particularly with teammate Kyrie Irving’s vaccination stance, meaning he can’t play home games.
Harden will be much happier in Philadelphia, where he is a strong fit alongside big man Embiid.
Embiid has been carrying the 76ers on his back to become an MVP candidate, and favourite in some people’s eyes.
Harden will help take pressure off Embiid as Philadelphia’s sole superstar.
NBA championship winner Kendrick Perkins boldly declared the Harden-Embiid duo will “destroy the NBA” while it is widely believed that the 76ers won the trade battle with Brooklyn.
However, if Simmons can recapture his finest and improve his shooting, there is a case for the Nets, especially when you add in role players Curry (proven shooter) and strong defender and rebounder Drummond.
Durant was blunt when asked about the Harden trade: “Everybody got what they wanted.”
Will the Nets move work?
Simmons has the ability to be a brilliant fit in Brooklyn, although question marks remain given he hasn’t played in the NBA since last June.
Still, at his best he is one of the league’s best defenders while his passing, running game and driving to the rim is elite.
It’s why Simmons wanted to be traded to a team with strong shooters like the Nets, which would allow his strong passing game to excel.
The Melbourne-born guard is gifted when it comes to making others better, so Brooklyn is the perfect fit.
At the Nets, Simmons will have superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at his disposal, which will give him a shot at an NBA championship.
The Aussie will help Brooklyn spread the floor and create more shots for the team’s array of world-class shooters, including our very own Mills.
All this sounds exciting, but Simmons still needs to come to the party from an attitude and willingness to work on his flawed shooting perspective.
The Nets can’t afford for his field goal shooting and free-throw shooting to become a liability like it was for Philadelphia during last year’s playoffs.
“It’s up to Simmons to get to work, get into a place where he’s able to play and understand he won’t have the ball in his hands as much as he’s used to,” said Boomers legend Chris Anstey, who had stints with Dallas and Chicago in the NBA.
“He needs to learn to be more active off the ball, find his receiver spots and aggressively look to score in the paint, fearless of being fouled and going to the free throw line. He has zero excuses to not have improved his jump shot and free throw shooting over the last eight months.”
Ben in BKLYN 😤 pic.twitter.com/ei99wf7uXM
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) February 11, 2022
It remains to be seen when Simmons suits up for Brooklyn given his long lay-off and his publicised mental health struggles throughout the trade.
Most NBA experts and journalists believe the Aussie is “weeks” away from suiting up for the Nets, although some reports suggest that he will join his new team on their road trip to Miami on Sunday (AEDT time).
Simmons has talked to Brooklyn superstar Durant and GM Sean Marks, according to the Aussie star’s agent Rich Paul.
The Australian guard is eager to join Brooklyn and ramp up for a return to play this season, Paul says. “We‘ve got to work to do to get him back to play, but it’s a great step in right direction.”
Simmons also won’t be able to don the No. 25 singlet — his dad Dave’s playing number — in Brooklyn.
The Nets had the No. 25 retired for Bill Melchionni, opening the door for Ben to wear the No. 22 — his number in high school.
The fallout
Simmons’ trade saga with Philadelphia is so bitter that one teammate celebrated his departure with a meme about funerals.
76ers star big man Embiid wasn’t no time saying goodbye to his former teammate with a pointed post.
The photo Embiid tweeted out on Friday is from a famous meme that went viral in 2015. The original Instagram post reads: I stopped by one of my biggest hater’s funeral today just to make sure they were dead.
Basketball fans went into a lather as many interpreted it to be a parting shot at Simmons.
— Joel “Troel†Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) February 10, 2022
Eric Balchunas called the post “hilariously savage” on Twitter, FanSided said it was an “epic reaction” and director Cory Bowles called it “ice cold”.
Sports Illustrated wrote: “Now that he’s heading up to Brooklyn, Embiid isn’t holding back. Minutes after the trade news broke, he posted a meme that pretty clearly depicts his feelings about Simmons’s impending departure.”
TV writer Scott Tobias said: “I cannot believe this tweet is real. I love the NBA!”
An hour after being posted, Embiid’s tweet had already been liked more than 245,000 times and re-tweeted more than 85,000 times.
Simmons’ relationship with Embiid deteriorated dramatically after Philadelphia bombed out of last season’s playoffs against the Hawks.
Embiid pointed the finger at Simmons’ unwillingness to make an open dunk and an inability to shoot as the reason for the Sixers’ season ending, sparking bad blood blood between the pair.
Simmons is set to receive a frosty/hostile reception from the Philadelphia fans on March 10 when the 76ers host his Brooklyn Nets.
The two teams could also face off in the playoffs, meaning Simmons would have to guard Harden, which would be captivating television.
There are also fears that Mills could be forced to “babysit” Simmons in Brooklyn as a fellow Aussie while Ben’s presence will also impact his game time, but Anstey isn’t worried.
“It won’t affect Patty — he’s a pro,” Anstey said.
“It may give him more shots consistently.”
Trade standoff over but Simmons saga set to continue
The Ben Simmons trade standoff with the Philadelphia 76ers is finally over, but the saga that is Simmons continues.
Don’t get me wrong, Simmons signing at the star-studded Brooklyn Nets is a significant win, especially given he has sat on the sidelines for almost seven months.
Ben is a brilliant, generational talent who can defend, drive, and pass with the best in the business, but let’s face it, he has lost his way following the bitter trade standoff with Philadelphia.
Sure, having doubts placed on your shooting and performance from your teammates sucks, but we can all agree that he could have handled his trade standoff with the 76ers with more professionalism.
Turning up and sulking isn’t going to help anyone, especially Ben, as we’ve seen.
The Nets are trading James Harden to the Sixers in a deal for Ben Simmons, per @ShamsCharania@NBAonTNTpic.twitter.com/5VF7PKJErY
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 10, 2022
Anyway, that is done now, and Simmons is heading to Brooklyn to join stars Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and fellow Aussie Patty Mills.
On paper, it looks picture perfect, although the Nets do have their problems having slumped to eighth in the East while Durant is out injured and Irving sits on the sideline due to his vaccination stance.
When Brooklyn is fit, though, the team possess the talent to climb the standings and compete for a championship.
A focused Simmons can help the Nets achieve this goal.
The three-time NBA All-Star makes others better with his pinpoint passing and vision, so playing alongside potent shooters like Durant and Irving is a dream result.
The Aussie will help the Nets spread the floor and create more shots for the team’s array of world-class shooters, including our very own Mills.
All this sounds exciting, but Simmons still needs to come to the party from an attitude and willingness to work perspective.
Sure, he has found the ideal franchise in the Nets when it comes to surrounding himself with shooters, but he still needs to work on his shot.
Simmons’ free-throw percentage, for example, dipped to a low 32 per cent during last year’s playoffs.
Then there is his flawed shooting stroke from the field.
As a max-level earner in the NBA – taking home over $33 million a season – there is an expectation that Simmons improves his shooting to a standard that mirrors the rest of his game.
All the greats have shown an ability to work on their shooting, including reigning champion Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Greek Freak previously struggled with his shooting, but he has put in the work to hone his skills and become better.
Simmons can opt not to work on his jump shot – and he’ll still be a good player – but he needs to put in the hours if he wants to be great.
Last year, he told me he would like to follow in fellow Aussie Lauren Jackson’s footsteps and one day be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Simmons has the ability to do this, and he has shown it, but he must work on taking his game to another level for this dream to become reality.
He is more than capable – he just needs to find that drive again.
It’s why joining the star-studded Nets isn‘t just a band-aid solution for Simmons – the responsibility to improve his attitude and flawed shooting stroke now rests on his willingless to work.
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