The 2022-23 NBA preseason is underway and features the return of Ben Simmons to the basketball court. On Monday, Simmons made his NBA debut alongside Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and the rest of the Brooklyn Nets.
During the 127-108 preseason loss, Simmons showed flashes of his former self, a great sign for Nets fans for the forthcoming season. Simmons finished with six points, five assists, and four rebounds in 19 minutes.
“I’m grateful just to be able to step on that floor,” Simmons said. “Step on an NBA floor again. I had a lot of fun out there.”
Observing the game, Steve Nash let ESPN know that he sees the progress in his team.
“I think it’s all so new,” Nash said. “We got to go through this. Guys need time together. Ben’s playing with a totally different unit than he has in the past, different style. … It’s going to be ugly at times, but I thought as the half wore on you definitely started to see glimpses of the potential. The way the ball moved. The way they were hounding the basketball defensively. I thought Ben looked pretty good overall and grew into the game through the half.”
