Nets' Jacque Vaughn Says He Looks Forward 'to Coaching a Healthy Ben Simmons'

Coming off a rough 2022-23 season after missing the previous year due to injuries, Ben Simmons still has a supporter in Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn.

Speaking to NBA TV on Friday night (h/t Net Income of NetsDaily.com), Vaughn explained he is "excited to coach a healthy Ben Simmons" next season.

"That's exciting for me," he added. "The team is excited to have him healthy, being part of our program and moving forward. He has an innate ability to impact the basketball game on both ends of the floor. So, we missed that in the Philly series and looking forward to it."

Brooklyn was supposed to provide a fresh start for Simmons when he was acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers as part of the James Harden trade in February 2022.

The three-time All-Star had a falling out with the Sixers following the team's loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals. Then-head coach Doc Rivers and Joel Embiid publicly criticized his play, specifically passing out of a layup late in the fourth quarter, after a 103-96 loss in Game 7.

Simmons also cited mental-health issues and a back injury as reasons for not playing in games during the 2021-22 season. He underwent surgery for a herniated disk in his back in May 2022.

When Simmons finally stepped on the court for the Nets at the start of last season, he looked like a diminished version of himself. The 26-year-old only averaged 5.2 points per game in his first nine appearances, but did rack up 6.2 rebounds and 5.9 assists per contest during that span.

One encouraging stretch saw Simmons put up 15.5 points on 82.0 percent shooting, 6.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game in six appearances from Nov. 15-25.

That would be as good as things got for Simmons last season. He only played 27 games the rest of the year before lingering back problems shut him down after Feb. 15.

The Nets' outlook dramatically changed during the 2022-23 season when they traded Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. They still have a solid roster with players like Mikal Bridges, Dorian Finney-Smith, Royce O'Neale and Cameron Johnson, but it's not a championship-level core.

A healthy Simmons wouldn't necessarily elevate Brooklyn to the upper echelon of Eastern Conference contenders, but he's got a strong track record as one of the best two-way players in the NBA at his best.

Simmons is under contract for two more seasons with a $37.9 million salary in 2023-24. The Nets will be counting on him to provide quality production as they look to improve on their 45-37 record last season.