Nets' Ben Simmons: It'll Be Great to 'Dominate' NBA Players When I Return from Injury

After two injury-ravaged seasons, Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons has high hopes for himself going into the 2023-24 campaign.

In an interview with Andscape's Marc J. Spears, Simmons said he will be ready for the start of the season and plans to "dominate people" when he gets back on the court.

Once regarded as one of the best players in the NBA going into the 2020-21 season, Simmons was almost an afterthought for the Nets last season.

Some of this was because everything that happened with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving before they were traded away didn't leave a lot of room to focus on anything else.

But even when Simmons was on the court, he wasn't offering anything of significant value. The 27-year-old averaged career-lows in scoring (6.9 points per game), rebounds (6.3), assists (6.1) and minutes (26.3).

The Nets ruled Simmons out for the season March 23 due to lingering back problems. He only appeared in 42 games.

If there was a positive to take away from the 2022-23 season, it was that Simmons was at least able to play some games. He went through a very a public divorce with the Philadelphia 76ers in the aftermath of their loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the 2021 playoffs.

The Sixers held onto Simmons for the first three months of the 2021-22 season before trading him to the Nets as part of a package for James Harden. He wound up sitting out the entire season.

In April 2022, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Simmons told Nets officials he had been dealing with a "mental block" that was "creating stress that could serve as a trigger point for his back issues."

It was later revealed he had a herniated disc in his back that had been bothering him for two years before he had surgery in May 2022.

The Nets have an intriguing roster that could be better than expected if they get the version of Simmons who was a three-time All-Star and two-time All-Defensive first-team selection for the Sixers.

Mikal Bridges played like a star in an increased role for the Nets after being acquired from the Phoenix Suns in the Durant trade. He averaged 26.1 points on 47.5 percent shooting in 27 starts with Brooklyn.

The Nets made the playoffs with a 45-37 record, but they were swept in the first round by Philadelphia.