Nets' Ben Simmons: 'I Want to Be Better Than An All-Star' After Returning from Injury

Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons wants to reach new heights as he prepares to return to the court in 2023-24.

The three-time All-Star is set to return after back issues ended his 2022-23 season prematurely. While returning to his former self is certainly a goal, Simmons is aiming a little higher.

"And then individually, I want to be back where I was," Simmons said, per Christopher Riley of Esquire. "I want to be an All-Star. I want to be better than an All-Star. That's where I want to be. I never try to live with myself. I'm never like, Well, hopefully, maybe I get a couple votes in an All-Star game. Nah, if that's the case, I might as well be fishing."

These desires are certainly lofty, considering the high accolade that an All-Star nomination already is. Simmons' past accomplishments also include being named All-Defensive twice and All-NBA once.

Reclaiming those heights, and potentially adding more, is a tall task but Simmons is physically talented enough to do so. The 27-year-old has career averages of 14.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.5 assists and is a fierce defender, which is exemplified by the defensive honors. However, it has been a bit since he has shown that talent.

Simmons missed the entirety of the 2021-22 season, which coincided with his acquisition by the Nets, and his 42 games in 2022-23 were not up to his caliber. He averaged 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists when playing and while the back injury certainly didn't help, it does paint some concern about if he can regain form.

This approach Simmons is taking shows that he is determined to make that jump, which should be a positive sign for a Nets team that is hoping to salvage some value out of the guard before his contract expires after the 2024-25 season.