Australian basketball legend Andrew Gaze says there’s early evidence Ben Simmons will bounce back to his best with Brooklyn this NBA season.
In the final year of his rich Nets deal, former top draft pick Simmons is set to command the most interest of the 14 Australians suiting up for the season that tips off Wednesday (AEDT).
Injuries have restricted Simmons to only 57 of a possible 199 games since relocating from Philadelphia in February 2022 as part of a trade that sent former NBA MVP James Harden to the 76ers.
Back issues have been chief among his concerns, keep him to only 15 games last season and dashing his hopes of playing in Australia’s Olympic campaign.
“From my own personal experiences, the backs were always the hardest to get through because you couldn’t find other ways to stay in shape and stay in form because it was so debilitating,” Gaze told AAP.
Simmons’ run of injuries has maligned him in the eyes of Brooklyn fans still yet to see consistent output from the 28-year-old.
But he showed glimpses of his best in the pre-season, most notably coming up with 11 points, five rebounds and two assists in the 133-92 drubbing of Washington.
Simmons said at the Nets’ pre-season media day that he finally felt healthy, with Gaze ready to put faith in the Australian for a comeback season.
“There’s been some evidence of that (Simmons bouncing back),” he said.
“A couple of the glimpses that I have seen, he looks healthy, he looks engaged, he’s saying all the right things.
“It seems like he’s got a different approach to what his objectives are this season in regards to getting back to playing good basketball and how he’s trying to fit in with the new coach (Jordi Fernandez) and be an ally.
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“He’s missed a lot of basketball. If he can stay healthy and he can get back to see what he’s capable of doing, it could be a big year for him.”
Elsewhere, Gaze was hopeful Chicago would prove a good fit for Josh Giddey following a disappointing third and final year with Oklahoma City.
Giddey arrives at a youthful Bulls outfit undergoing the kind of rebuild that the pass-first point guard helped execute after being drafted to the Thunder with the sixth pick in 2021.
The 2024-25 season looms as a crucial one for Josh Giddey’s career after he was traded to the Chicago Bulls during the summer. (Getty Images: Stacy Revere)
“What he was able to do throughout that period as a guy trying to figure his way into the NBA as well as be part of a rebuilding program, he showed great maturity, showed that he can play at a really high level,” Gaze said.
“I don’t think that there’s any question about his long-term prospects in the league but like it is for a lot of players, it’s being in the right place at the right time, you get the right type of teammates around you.”
Minnesota Timberwolves recruit Joe Ingles and Utah Jazz’s Patty Mills are among other Australians on new teams for the 2024/25 season, which could be the last in the NBA for the pair of veterans.
“What sort of impact with where they’re at in this stage of their career and what type of role they’re going to have, it’ll be interesting to follow that,” Gaze said.
AAP
