Mikal Bridges Says Ben Simmons Has Nets' Support: 'We All F--k with Him'

The Brooklyn Nets are looking forward to having Ben Simmons back on the court for them next season.

Appearing on the Podcast P with Paul George podcast, Nets forward Mikal Bridges said he's got "big confidence" in Simmons and "we all f--k with him" when the entire team is engaged in group chats.

Simmons has barely been a factor for the Nets since being acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers as part of the James Harden trade in February 2022. He was diagnosed with a herniated disc in his back the following month and sat out the rest of the season.

The Nets announced Simmons had surgery to repair the injury in May 2022. He debuted for the team in its first game of the 2022-23 season, scoring just four points in a 130-108 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Simmons did have a few stretches last season when he at least looked like an above-average starting point guard. The 27-year-old averaged 15.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game in six appearances from Nov. 15-25.

Brooklyn shut down Simmons on March 28, six weeks after his last appearance in a game on Feb. 15. He had been dealing with knee soreness and a nerve impingement in his back.

In 42 appearances last season, Simmons averaged career-lows in scoring (6.9 points per game), rebounding (6.3) and assists (6.1).

The Nets actually have an intriguing roster going into next season. Bridges played like an All-Star in 27 starts after being acquired from the Phoenix Suns as part of the Kevin Durant trade. He averaged 26.1 points on 47.5 percent shooting, 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steals per game after joining Brooklyn.

Bridges, Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, Nic Claxton and Cameron Johnson is a solid starting five.

Simmons made three consecutive All-Star appearances with the Sixers from 2018-19 to 2020-21. He just turned 27 years old on July 20 and has been a dynamic two-way player at his best.

If the rest of the Nets can make him comfortable and Vaughn is able to find the formula that made him successful in Philadelphia, Simmons could be the piece that makes this team a formidable group in the Eastern Conference.