With the Brooklyn Nets handing them the keys to their present and future, Mikal Bridges is keeping his faith high in Ben Simmons.
In his appearance on Paul George’s “Podcast P”, Bridges echoed his unwavering support for Simmons, who again had a daunting campaign from last season upon facing injuries and multiple up-down, rusty performances.
“Ben’s [Simmons] my guy. I got big confidence, I got big faith in boy this year,” he said. “I think his back was messed up and him actually going through getting X-ray stuff and them telling him like you have to get surgery. I think it kind of felt good for him.”
After sitting out for the entirety of the 2021-22 season due to his embattled standoff with the Philadelphia 76ers as well as his nagging back issues, Simmons returned to the league with such hardships again.
Battling criticisms and low self-esteem in playing basketball, the Australian swingman was a non-factor and another frustrating part of the lopsided season of the Nets last 2022-23, appearing for just 42 games while averaging 6.9 points, 6.3 boards, and 6.1 assists.
He was ultimately shut down by the Nets in late March as he was suffering knee soreness and nerve impingement in his back.
From the number of criticisms that Simmons has obtained, Bridges made it known that they will still stick around with the former All-Star through thick and thin.
“Just be there with him man, support him, even if he struggled, that’s cool,” he told George. “Like, sh—, whatever city we’re in, we gonna hang out, go get dinner, whatever you want, get ready for the next one.
“I think that’s the biggest thing. just [so] he can be confident enough to fail and know like you’re there for him.”
Looking at their roster, Brooklyn does have an interesting balance and mixture of various wing cagers that is truly significant in today’s dynamism of the NBA. From Bridges and Simmons, the Nets still have versatile units to lean on like Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Royce O’Neale.
Should Simmons regain his All-Star form, the sky is the only limit for the Nets as they continue to trust the process and make a return to title relevance.
