Ben Simmons has endured a nightmare outing in his first official NBA appearance in 487 days, recording more fouls than points in his Brooklyn Nets debut.
Just hours after declaring that he would be the “motor” of his new team, Simmons attempted just three field goals, making two, en-route to finishing with four points, five rebounds and five assists before fouling out in just 23 minutes.
Simmons’ disappointing performance mirrored that of his team, with the Nets throttled 130-108 by the New Orleans Pelicans in their season opener.
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The 26-year-old said he was “too excited” and said he cramped up during the half-time break after an extended period on the sidelines.
Despite his disappointing debut, Simmons received the support of star teammates Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, as well as Nets head coach Steve Nash.
“As we told him in the locker room, he’s a valuable piece for us and we need him out there, and fouling out is not an option,” Irving said after the game.
“Playing aggressive is something that we want him to do, but we also want to play smart.”
“I just think he’s rusty. The guy hasn’t played in over a year,” Nash added.
“He’s still getting used to referees, defence, offence. This is a process for Ben … He’s shown obviously glimpses of the player we know he is and can be, but it’s not easy. We’re here to support him.”
Simmons’ long-awaited return to the NBA could not have gone more differently compared to Pelicans star Zion Williamson, who played in his first game since May 2021.
Williamson finished the game with 25 points, nine rebounds, three assists and four steals in 30 minutes of action.
The No.1 pick in the 2019 draft looked fully recovered and explosive after being sidelined with a broken right foot, and his addition to a roster that made the playoffs without him could make the Pelicans a rising team in the Western Conference.
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