Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash can only give praise on Ben Simmons who had a solid bounce back game against the Toronto Raptors on Friday, several days after showing off a rusty season opener.
Nash lauds Simmons’ aggressiveness while sticking up to his belief that he is starting to deliver “the player he can be.”
“A step up for Ben,” Nash said, per ESPN’s Nick Friedell. “From the jump he was more aggressive. He got in the paint, every time he gets in the paint he causes problems. … He’s starting to show the player he can be, and I still think he’s got a ways to go, so really proud of him.
“He shook off the first night, and I thought he was much more aggressive in an important game for us.”
The Australian star struggled in his official debut in a loss against the New Orleans Pelicans, exiting prematurely for being fouled out in 23 minutes, while posting up poor numbers of four points, five boards, five assists and three turnovers.
But this time around, Simmons had a robust all-around showing for Brooklyn, providing six points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and two blocked shots in 32 minutes of action. With both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving taking over in crunch time, his playmaking and defense meanwhile served crucial as they snatched the 109-105 victory inside the Barclays Center.
Durant credits Simmons for playing much better and making impacts on both sides of the floor.
“He just got downhill — he just played free,” Durant said of Simmons. “He didn’t think too much. I think we’re all a little anxious to start playing, start the season last game, so we had a better start to the game.
“He impacted the game as much as he could tonight. … We need that from everybody, but I think we’re all a little [more] relaxed, even the coaches.”
Simmons and the Nets can only hope to build their momentum further as they face the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday to start their two-game road trip.
