Can Nets make a Finals run if Ben Simmons returns?
The Brooklyn Nets' "Big Three" might soon be ready to take the Barclays Center court together — if the Nets can advance past the NBA play-in tournament.
After shouldering super-sized expectations by himself for much of the season, Kevin Durant welcomed the full-time return of Kyrie Irving on March 25 and now has promising news about Ben Simmons' path back to action.
Simmons, who Brooklyn traded for in late February, has been sidelined with a herniated disc since arriving in the Big Apple. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Sunday that the Nets are hopeful about Simmons' return for the first round of the playoffs, assuming the Nets defeat Cleveland in the play-in round Tuesday.
Speaking on "Undisputed" on Tuesday, Skip Bayless expressed enthusiasm over Simmons' looming return, adding that his presence could be the x-factor in a championship run.
"Would I love to see a 25-year-old Ben Simmons suddenly rise and shine for the Nets? Yes," Bayless said. "If you told me that was happening, I'd give them a shot to win the whole thing. It gave me goosebumps. Now I'm thinking, 'Wow, maybe this is happening.'"
Simmons' confidence is reportedly at an all-time high, with Nets players saying the former LSU Tiger walks around the practice facility "like he's Jordan," according to Bally Sports' Brandon Robinson.
He missed the entire 2021-22 regular season, but Simmons made the All-Star team every season from 2019 through 2021. In his standout sophomore season, the Australian averaged 16.9 points per game while grabbing 8.8 rebounds and dishing out 7.7 assists.
"He's made three straight All-Star teams," Bayless said. "He was once the Rookie of the Year, he's made two straight first-team All-Defensive [teams]. What's not to love about that?"
Simmons' acumen as a defender far outweighs his skills on the offensive end, too, leading the league in steals in 2019-20 and finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting behind Rudy Gobert last season.
With Simmons possessing a suffocating 7-foot wingspan, his defensive skills and versatility could help the Nets contain the Eastern Conference's most dominant stars, Bayless' co-host Shannon Sharpe argued.
"He is 6-foot-10, he is extremely long," Sharpe said. "And so that would take a lot off of Kevin Durant's plate of having to guard, say Giannis [Antetokounmpo] or [Jayson] Tatum or [Jaylen] Brown. [Simmons] could come in, he can take one of those responsibilities. There's an awful lot on KD's plate that Ben Simmons could help resolve."
However, while both Bayless and Sharpe acknowledge the importance of Simmons' presence on the floor, the "Undisputed" duo maintained a bit of skepticism.
Simmons' last NBA basketball game was June 20, 2021 against the Atlanta Hawks. He has sat out since then due to mental health issues while on the Sixers and with recent back injuries while with the Nets. Brooklyn revealed that Simmons received an epidural for his back in late March and was seen after practice Monday working with resistance bands, but he has not yet been cleared for contact.
Sharpe remains wary about Simmons' reported timetable and the Nets' chances of knocking off the second-seeded Celtics, struggling to see when Simmons could reasonably slot in during the playoffs.
"You and I both know if the doctor is willing to give you one of those [an epidural], you have something serious going on with that back," Sharpe said. "I just don't see a situation where he [Simmons] comes back before or during the first round. And I don't believe they [the Nets] get past the first round for him to come back in the second round."
In order for the Nets to entertain Simmons' Cinderella story, they must beat the Cavaliers in the play-in Tuesday night for a shot at the Celtics.
