After an extended hiatus of seven months away from competitive NBA action, Ben Simmons is gearing up for a redemption season with the Brooklyn Nets.
In a recent interview on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Nets’ head coach Jacque Vaughn shared insights into his approach to re-integrating Simmons into the team and the expectations for the upcoming season.
Vaughn emphasized the importance of tapping into Simmons’ muscle memory and innate basketball instincts as he returns to the court.
Having been sidelined for an extended period, the focus is on rekindling Simmons’ ability to make plays and maintain a high level of instinctive, paced play.
“At the end of the day, Ben hasn’t played in a real game in 7 months and somewhere around there,” Vaughn said. “You’re encouraging him to use some of the muscle memory that he’s had and just making plays and being instinctive and playing with the pace – things that just come naturally to him.”
However, the challenge doesn’t stop there. Vaughn also highlighted the need for Simmons to assume a leadership role within the team.
“But also challenging him to lead our group of if he’s going to have basketball in his hands. We’re different team than we were last year. How we’re going to get shots, which shots are acceptable. He has to be cognizant of that in leading our group,” he added.
