Ben Simmons was held out of the second game of a back-to-back on Monday, a decision made to ensure his health and longevity throughout the season.
This absence led to further discussion with the Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez, who has been vocal about his desire for Simmons to become more aggressive in his scoring.
Through the first six games of the season, Simmons has struggled to get his shot attempts up, averaging five or fewer attempts per game. This lack of aggression has drawn attention from Fernandez, who believes Simmons must increase his attempts moving forward.
“He is physically getting where he’s supposed to be, and those attempts need to go up,” Fernandez remarked, acknowledging that Simmons has been progressing in his physical condition but stressing that he needs to take more initiative on offense.
Fernandez is not as concerned with whether Simmons makes or misses those shots.
“Because then we are all going to benefit from it. I don’t care about makes or misses. I just want to see shots going up,” he stated. Fernandez believes that Simmons has the ability to be more assertive, and that his confidence will grow as he continues to develop in the system.
“He’s more than capable of doing it, so he’ll get there for sure,” Fernandez added, expressing confidence that Simmons will adjust and meet the expectations set for him.
This call for Simmons to shoot more often is part of a larger effort to maximize his potential and contribute more consistently to the team’s offense.
Atlantic Notes: Claxton, Simmons, Boucher, Brown https://t.co/4SFJpxTjSv pic.twitter.com/FfazvW5rdt
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) November 6, 2024
