Mills: Simmons will ‘be a threat’ no matter how Nets use him
Nets veteran guard Patty Mills has some ideas as to how newly acquired star forward Ben Simmons will fit into Brooklyn’s offense.
Mills, who spoke before the Nets’ flight to Boston on Saturday, said Simmons — a threetime NBA All-Star and a fellow Aussie — can have an offensive impact both with and without the ball in his hands.
“He’s gonna be a threat either way, on ball, off ball, whether he’s handling the ball, whether he’s off the ball as a screener,” Mills said at the HSS Training Facility in Industry City after practice. “I think he’s such a threat that he’s going to draw a lot of attention. So given his IQ and the way that he can pass the ball and handle the ball, that just makes us better at his bare minimum.”
Simmons’ offensive impact is in question, of course, because of his struggles shooting the ball. The 25-year-old star is battling back soreness and has yet to make his Nets debut despite sitting the entire front half of the season in Philadelphia, but he struggled to make shots in a shooting drill at the end of team practice on Saturday.
The Nets, however, don’t need Simmons to make shots — that’s what players like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry and Mills are for.
“Obviously, where he’s the biggest threat is in an open-court situation with people, especially shooters, around him,” Mills continued. “But like I said, I think a bare minimum Ben Simmons makes this team a whole lot better as well. So (I’m) looking forward to it.”
With just 18 games left in the season, however, the Nets do need Simmons on the floor, but a debut date remains a mystery.
Nets interim coach Jacque Vaughn, who has filled in the last three games for Steve Nash (health and safety protocols), says nothing has changed with Simmons, whose back soreness re-surfaced in Brooklyn during his ramp-up conditioning period after the mid-February James Harden trade with the 76ers.
As it stands, Simmons has yet to fully participate in team practice and has yet to complete any high-intensity workouts. The Nets require three high-intensity workouts without setback for a player to be eligible to return from an injury. Nets GM Sean Marks recently said Simmons is weeks away from that kind of intense work.
So what exactly is Simmons able to do at this point?
“We were doing a lot of talking, a lot of conversations — meaning the group — a lot of film, a lot of walkthrough stuff,” said Mills. “So he’s there for all of it, he’s there for the entire practice. And then he’s doing his part with his shooting coach and physio and whatever that looks like. But as far as every team thing goes, he’s at everything.”
Mills said a good chunk of Simmons’ learning is coming on the bench during games. The veteran guard said he gives the younger Australian forward “some guidance and perspective” on the sidelines.
“(He can) see how he can easily slide into this thing, and then see where he can fit in and find his spots and be able to make an impact on both ends of the floor,” Mills said. “So the game, gametime has been really crucial, having him on the bench and just hearing his perspective.”
It’s one thing to hear Simmons’ perspective, but it’s another to see that perspective in real-time influencing a basketball game.
Simmons has earned First Team All-Defense honors twice, has finished top 20 in both steals and assists in each of his four NBA seasons, and — when healthy — is a ridiculous athlete: a 6-11 point guard with lightning speed, agility and jump-outthe-gym hops.
The Nets don’t appear worried about Simmons’ fit with their other players. The only worry is how long it’ll take for their star to make his debut, and whether there will be enough time for him and his teammates to build chemistry before the playoffs start.
“Obviously he’s putting in a lot of hard work, not only with his rehab with his back, but also you know, finding his ways or how he can get better in the situation that he’s in at the moment,” said Mills. “He’s voicing his thoughts and what he thinks he’ll be able to bring at certain times, which is good, and I think that’s what’s needed at times. So I guess it’s just an example of the development and growth that he’s had as a basketball player, and how we can implement it into a new system for him. So it’s exciting.”