Can Ben Simmons actually turn his career around?

Ben Simmons’ arrival with the Brooklyn Nets signified a fresh start to his career, which has seen many ups and downs. He's shown flashes of the elite-level player he used to be with the Philadelphia 76ers, but has also not been available for most of Brooklyn's games. We'll dive into whether the mercurial forward can ever return to glory. All statistics sourced from Basketball Reference.

While he was a better scorer in Philadelphia than he’s shown to be with the Nets, Simmons’ unique contributions were always more valuable in other areas, as the Australian Broadcasting Corporation highlighted in 2016.

He was excellent at getting his teammates open looks, controlling the glass, and making life miserable for opposing teams’ best offensive players. There’s no reason why Simmons can’t continue to excel in those areas.

It seems counterintuitive to say that Simmons is no longer under intense scrutiny, playing for a team based in New York City. However, the unrelenting focus on him and the Nets has subsided, since Brooklyn no longer has Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving on the team.

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Since the Nets are just another NBA team this year, Simmons has less attention to deal with, which may be a good thing.

There’s been a lot of speculation about the nature of Simmons’ injuries the past couple of years. He suffered a back ailment which sapped him of some athleticism. It also seems fair to wonder whether Simmons was emotionally invested in being the best player he could possibly be. Improved physical and mental health could be the impetus for a strong comeback as well.

It feels like NBA fans have had Simmons in their lives forever, but somehow, he’s still just 27 years old. If he’s healthy and dedicated to getting back to his old form, there’s still plenty of time to rewrite a positive narrative.

It’s often said that most players hit their peak between 28-30 anyway, which Simmons still has a chance to reach.

For many months, it felt like the discussion around Simmons surrounded his past and how it could hamper his future. He would be asked a ton of questions about what went wrong with the 76ers, and how things could have gone differently. Sports Illustrated wrote about how Simmons brushed off inquires about his 76ers tenure.

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This fixation with the past could have been damaging, so the goal for Simmons now should be to focus on the present and the future.

The Australian men’s basketball team has historically been one of the tougher teams to face during international competition. They don’t always have the talent that their opponents globally feature, but they bring a level of camaraderie and effort that gives teams problems.

That type of structure might put Simmons in a great position to play well on a world stage.

Perhaps due to the back injury and a lack of passion for his craft in the past, Simmons’ ability to command defensive attention was reduced in the last couple of years. He’s going to have to remain in constant motion if he wants to be a positive factor for his team.

His lack of shooting ability will lead teams to play off him, but his energy on the glass and in the paint can mitigate that shortcoming.

If Simmons truly wants to get back to his previous standing in the league and perhaps reach new heights, he’s going to need to come through in the NBA playoffs. The image of him passing up an easy dunk in Game 7 against the Atlanta Hawks a few years ago will stay with him for the next of his career unless he creates another memory to supersede it.

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After his strong start to the 2023-2024 campaign, injuries once again derailed Simmons. He missed 38 consecutive games from November 2023 through January 2024 with a nerve impingement in his lower back. Questions surrounding his ability to stay healthy will continue to follow him.

Simmons was ruled out for the rest of the 2023-2024 NBA season with continuing back issues. CBS Sports calls the situations with Simmons and the Nets uncomfortable, as the team can't seem to count on him as a cornerstone moving forward.