Report: Nets' Ben Simmons Is Healthiest He's Been Since 2020-21 Amid Injury Rehab

Ben Simmons has played all of 42 games in parts of two seasons with the Brooklyn Nets while dealing with persistent back issues, causing major question marks about his future.

But ESPN's Marc J. Spears reported during Wednesday's NBA Today that the guard-forward is healthy heading into the 2023-24 campaign:

"I talked to somebody close to [Simmons]... They would say, 'I would say he's in the final stage of prep for the season and he has passed every benchmark and is as healthy as he has ever been since his last year in Philly. Brooklyn has been incredibly supportive and the plan is for him to be the Nets' point guard and primary ball-handler this upcoming season. The expectation is he will fully resume his career at the level he has prior to leaving Philadelphia.'"

You'll forgive NBA fans if a wave of "well, we've heard this before" sentiment rushes through them. The offseason update—be it about his health or the yearly hype videos showing him in the gym, shooting perimeter jumpers, only for them to never translate during actual NBA games—has become Simmons' domain.

But it isn't the only part of that report that may be met with skepticism.

The idea that Simmons might win the starting point guard gig is hard to believe, given that center Nic Claxton is also a non-shooter. In the modern NBA, two players who don't space the floor is a fast path to an inefficient offense, and while the team's defense would be extraordinary, the half-court offense would be brutal.

And the Nets should have plenty of defensive upside and versatility even without Simmons on the floor in a potential starting lineup of Spencer Dinwiddie, Cam Johnson, Mikal Bridges, Dorian Finney-Smith and Claxton.

Yes, Simmons' playmaking remains an asset as well, especially in transition. The issue is that his lack of offensive aggression and his unwillingness to shoot from the perimeter means he needs to be surrounded by spacing to open up the floor for uncontested drives or kick-out opportunities.

That works with a stretch-5, not Claxton.

Now, could the Nets build a second unit around Simmons' interesting blend of size, speed, athleticism and passing vision? Absolutely. At this point, that makes far more sense. Simmons may be a three-time All-Star, but Bridges is the best player in Brooklyn and constructing the best possible starting group around him will be the priority.

At the moment, Simmons doesn't appear to be the best option in that regard. Perhaps that could change. Maybe he'll be willing to be more aggressive as a scorer and shooter. Maybe this is the season that he expands on his game and lives up to the incredible potential that made him a former top overall pick. Maybe he'll actually play a full season.

But those "maybes" are painfully familiar to NBA fans when it comes to Simmons. Most hoop enthusiasts are a bit jaded on the subject at this point, and justifiably so.