A few years ago, Ben Simmons was considered to be one of the best players in the NBA while sharing the spotlight alongside Joel Embiid on the Philadelphia 76ers.
Simmons showed the ability to be an elite distributor and elite defender while with the 76ers, and he seemed to have a bright future ahead due to his consistent play on the basketball floor.
Unfortunately, things fell apart relatively fast for Simmons in Philadelphia, as he went from an All-Star-caliber talent to a player that no one wanted on their team because of his poor attitude and inability to shoot the basketball.
Simmons ultimately forced his way out of Philadelphia and hasn’t been the same ever since, with the future of his basketball career in real doubt as he tries to convince the Brooklyn Nets that he’s worth the insane amount of money he has left on his contract.
Although there is a lot of doubt about whether Simmons can resurrect his career in the NBA, the former No. 1 overall pick is confident in his ability moving forward, saying the following about his mindset right now as opposed to during last season, per Andscape via Legion Hoops.
Ben Simmons:
“The version I’m at now, if I was playing against myself from last season, I would kill him. That’s how I feel.”
(via @andscape, https://t.co/TiwCl0iFpG) pic.twitter.com/B8zgowNurt
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) August 29, 2023
Even though the Nets have been through many changes over the past couple of years, with three superstars coming through the organization and leaving disaster in their wake, Brooklyn still has a talented young core to work with and an emerging leader in Mikal Bridges.
Simmons seems to want to be part of that promising future in Brooklyn, but he’s got a lot to prove moving forward, as he’ll need an incredible 2023-24 campaign to convince this team he’s still the real deal.
NEXT: Ben Simmons Makes A Statement About Dominating His Rivals