Yes, it is only the preseason. But this looks like a very different Ben Simmons to the one that suited up for the Brooklyn Nets last year.
Not that that should be a surprise either. Simmons has said it all summer. That this is the best he has ever felt. That physically, he can do things he simply couldn’t last season.
Like rise up into the air for an emphatic dunk, as he did in Brooklyn’s 135-103 win in an exhibition game against Israel’s Maccabi Ra’anana.
It was just one highlight play in an all-round solid night for Simmons, who had six points, five rebounds and six assists while shooting 60 per cent from the field in 14 minutes during the first half.
Watch every game of the NBL season with ESPN on Kayo Sports. Join Kayo now and start streaming instantly >
Simmons didn’t see many more minutes in the second half but had already made the statement he needed to, backing up an impressive first-up effort against the Lakers earlier in the week.
The three-time All-Star set the tone early in the game as he drove towards the basket and drew a foul, flashing the sort of aggression and physicality that makes Simmons such a force when pushing the pace in transition.
There were two moments early in the first quarter that proved just how important that added aggression is to opening up Simmons’ game.
In the first, Simmons attacked the basket and got the finish but just a few minutes later he instead passed out to an open Miles Bridges for a 3-pointer, having sucked in multiple defenders with his drive to the rim.
“Much like the Lakers game Nets fans are thrilled to see that,” Tim Capstraw said of the way Simmons’ heavy involvement and assertive play.
Simmons also spoke in the summer about the role he could play in sparking Brooklyn’s transition offence, flashing that ability with an outlet pass for Spencer Dinwiddie.
Simmons again later gave Nets fans another reminder of the pace they can expect the team to play at with the Australian facilitating the offence, pushing up the court and finding Darius Bazley open for a 3-pointer which was missed.
A confident Simmons later made a fadeaway jump shot, something Brooklyn fans would have rarely — if ever — seen the 26-year-old even attempt in the 2021-22 season.
Simmons then later went back to continuing to drive with force towards the rim, at one point running onto a pass and then flicking it back to Harry Giles III to score.
All in all, even if the preseason, Friday’s game was even more proof that all the hype and talk may be real this time around.
“It’s exciting when he gets the ball in his hands in transition,” Capstraw said.
“We used to get that feeling a long time ago — I’m not comparing them — but when Jason Kidd got it off the backboard you got fired up. Ben Simmons gives you a little bit [of that] because you don’t know what’s going to happen on the other end.
“Ben Simmons is the story right now. Ben Simmons is playing very well and the way he is moving around the floor is going to be a story in the NBA, that’s for sure.”
GIDDEY’S HIGHLIGHT-REEL PASS, DYSON FLASHES SHOOTING POTENTIAL
Elsewhere, Oklahoma City Thunder fans got an early glimpse at the future as the team’s likely starting five suited up in a 128-125 loss to the Detroit Pistons.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren saw their first time sharing the court, starting alongside Josh Giddey, Lu Dort and Jalen Williams.
Dort was particularly impressive, finishing with 24 points before sitting the fourth quarter.
As for Giddey, he had five points, four assists, seven rebounds and four turnovers.
The Australian was active early on the boards with a defensive rebound and found Dort for an early 3-pointer.
Giddey had spoken in the summer about better using his 6-foot-8 frame to his advantage and did just that on the play, drawing in two defenders with a physical move towards the basket before passing to Dort.
The 21-year-old continued to play with more physicality, charging down an open lane for the finish and looking to draw the foul but was unsuccessful in his attempt.
Even still, it was positive signs for Oklahoma City fans given getting to the free throw line is something Giddey has consistently mentioned as a focus of his over the offseason.
Like Simmons, Giddey is also at his best facilitating the offence in transition and it is clearly something teammate Gilgeous-Alexander knows, handing the ball off to the Australian immediately after stealing possession.
In turn, Giddey immediately sent it long for Dort who dunked it home.
Not everything worked out for Giddey on Friday though, turning the ball over two times in the space of a few minutes.
But crucially Giddey had no hesitation in backing his instincts moments later as he fired a ball for another Dort dunk.
Later Giddey once more reminded the NBA world of just how lethal a passer he is when it comes to finding windows on inbounds plays.
While Giddey didn’t factor as much in the second half, he did once again drive towards the basket and beat Detroit’s Killian Hayes to cap off a solid night.
Elsewhere, the New Orleans Pelicans were blown out 120-87 by the Houston Rockets as Dyson Daniels flashed some improvement in his shooting.
Daniels finished with 13 points off the bench after going 3-for-4 from downtown, looking to impress coach Willie Green as the young Australian guard looks to find his offensive identity.
Daniels spoke at media day earlier this month about changes he had made to his shooting after an inconsistent and at times rough rookie season on that front.
“I’ve changed my hand placement on the ball, so I’ve brought my guard hand back a little bit,” he said.
“I’ve got a quicker dip now. I’ve got a more out front reach rather than up. I’m just catching the ball relaxed.
“Last year I caught the ball with wide hands and I was gripping it too much so my fingers are relaxed and I’m able to get my follow through more, get a little bit more arc on the shot and softer touch around the rim. Last year the ball was hitting the rim too hard, this year it’s hitting it soft so it has a chance to go in if it does hit the rim.
“It was tough at the start because when you change something it’s not always going to work at the start but you’ve got to stick with it. The first week I was missing a lot of shots but the second and third week I’m starting to make more and more and be more consistent. I’ve definitely learnt a lot in this short month of changing my shot.”
Meanwhile, Jock Landale did not suit up for his new team with the Rockets confirming he was unavailable as he works his way back from an ankle injury.
Joe Ingles and Patty Mills were also on the move this summer and played for their respective new teams, with the former scoring five points off the bench after scoring two buckets — including this unconventional one.
Mills, meanwhile, went scoreless but had two assists and a steal in Atlanta’s 103-102 win over Memphis.
#Preseason #games #results #scores #Ben #Simmons #dunk #highlights #Brooklyn #Nets #Josh #Giddey #inbounds #pass
