Ben Simmons

The Nets went just 8-19 in games without Kevin Durant last season. So with Brooklyn's MVP out after suffering a knee injury in their last game against the ...

And while it's reasonable to see why Vaughn valued the likes of Curry, Warren, O'Neale and Harris when trying to spark a comeback, it's sad that Simmons' complete inability to pose any scoring threat amounts to being benched in a game they're already without their best player. He assisted on seven of Brooklyn's nine made field goals in the first quarter and finished with a season-high 13 assists. For a player who already lacks aggression, doesn't look to score and avoids the foul line like the plague, foul trouble only exacerbates his biggest flaws. Though starting to find his groove with a steady dose of timely playmaking and rangy defense, the three-time All-Star is still finding his way offensively. So with Brooklyn's MVP out after suffering a knee injury in their last game against the Heat, the Nets entered their highly anticipated showdown with the Celtics searching for answers. [Vote now for the 2023 All-Star starters!](https://vote.nba.com/en?Is=nba%3Avote%3Aown%3Adig%3Asite%3Acanada%3Aallstar%3Aasv%3Aeng%3At-cont%3Au-glo%3Au-en%3A&%24web_only=true&_branch_match_id=1096824140224923249&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXTywo0MvJzMvWy0tK1EvOz9VP1XcpTsxO9clJCi1LAgBBWzI8JgAAAA%3D%3D)

Which puts him in a rare, if somewhat dubious statistical club as one of just 18 players in NBA history to record at least 13 assists without scoring a point, ...

Even if you shave the assist marker to 10, still only six players have authored a 0-10-9 line: Van Lier and Satoransky, Jason Kidd, Scottie Pippen, [Josh Giddey](/nba/players/26646085/josh-giddey/) and now Simmons. [Brooklyn Nets](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/BKN/brooklyn-nets/), no one player can replace the production of [Kevin Durant](/nba/players/1231866/kevin-durant/), who is [reportedly out for the next month](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/kevin-durant-injury-update-nets-star-has-sprained-mcl-in-right-knee-expected-to-miss-a-month-per-report/), maybe more, with a sprained MCL. [NBA](/nba/) history to record at least 13 assists without scoring a point, per Basketball Reference.

'100 per cent disagree': Simmons puts on 'masterclass' as legends clash over Aussie.

“I think I’ve given the ball away too many times. Simmons defensive efforts were also on display as he helped keep Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum to just 20 points. “Being assertive, being aggressive and knowing my team needs that,” he said. “But he needs to look at the rim more. “I think there’s such a misconception at times about scoring,” he said. I’d say half his assists have come on the break,” he said.

Nets star Ben Simmons had a strange game on Thursday, nearly recording a double-double while scoring no points.

“Noticed in TNT pregame that the Nets recreate real-game situations with Ben Simmons not shooting in the lay-up line.” Durant’s scoring will be hard to make up. [January 13, 2023] In some respects, [Simmons](https://thecomeback.com/tag/ben-simmons) had a fantastic game in defeat. [Nets](https://thecomeback.com/tag/brooklyn-nets) lost, 109-88. But in their most recent game, [Kevin Durant](https://thecomeback.com/tag/kevin-durant) sustained an injury that will sideline him [for several weeks](https://thecomeback.com/nba/kevin-durant-injury-out-month.html).

Before Thursday's game, coach Jacque Vaughn said he was not going to ask Ben Simmons to score any more with Kevin Durant sidelined.

Nic Claxton came into the day listed as questionable for the game because of left shoulder impingement, but he remained in the starting lineup and recorded nine points, nine rebounds and four blocks. “Love the contributions with the assists piece of it,” Vaughn said. “And that’s also going to help my teammates and get them going.” Simmons entered the night averaging only 7.7 points on six field-goal attempts per game this season. “Just pushing the ball, finding my guys, probably found them too much,” Simmons said. 28 game when he played 11 minutes against the Magic before leaving with an injury.

Finding a formula to win without Durant wasn't going to be immediate. There's no algorithm to replace an all-time great.

“I’m taking that on my responsibility that you’ve got juice coming into the game, now you’ve got to play with that juice. Vaughn said the Nets’ first step to determine what works and what doesn’t has to start with effort. Ben’s got to be able to be a force for us on the defensive end of the floor so that we can play small, play three guards out there so we can have shooting around him. It was a summation of the Nets’ evening, off balance on both ends of the floor in their first game without Durant, who has the rare ability to stabilize both. [Nets’](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/nets/) 109-98 loss to the [Celtics](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/celtics/). When [Jayson Tatum](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/jayson-tatum-3O7MInr4zV5KKhZ5/) went to the bench for his first rest, Vaughn immediately pulled Simmons in place of Curry to pair him with Irving. So we just have to be efficient with the basketball and value possessions that we do get to do the little things. We’ve got to be more up to having force on the defensive end of the floor and then hopefully we can make some shots.” Simmons’ pace and playmaking combined with the shotmaking of Curry, Harris, Warren and Irving kept the game competitive for the first three quarters. Warren scored seven quick points to keep the Nets in lockstep with the Celtics, who were without Warren](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/tj-warren-te6am5kOZ0yFvULt/) scored 20 points off the bench, reaching the mark for the second time this season, and [Joe Harris](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/joe-harris-QESU2aIXmpGRn50l/) had a season-high 18 points. And now we just have to find a balance within the structure of this team that we have right now without Kev.

Despite scoring zero points in a losing effort against the Celtics, Ben Simmons says he doesn't believe the team has any "great individuals."

Jaylen Brown and Al Horford missed the matchup, but [opened up opportunities](https://nesn.com/2023/01/celtics-happy-payton-pritchard-taking-advantage-of-opportunities/) for the likes of Payton Pritchard and an [emerging Derrick White](https://nesn.com/2023/01/celtics-joe-mazzulla-acknowledges-derrick-whites-selfless-play/) to step in and help lead the Celtics to a victory. “They have some great individuals, but when you put it together, they play team basketball. The way they play, they’re very together; defensively & offensively.

Which puts him in a rare, if somewhat dubious statistical club as one of just 18 players in NBA history to record at least 13 assists without scoring a point, ...

Even if you shave the assist marker to 10, still only six players have authored a 0-10-9 line: Van Lier and Satoransky, Jason Kidd, Scottie Pippen, [Josh Giddey](/nba/players/26646085/josh-giddey/) and now Simmons. [Brooklyn Nets](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/BKN/brooklyn-nets/), no one player can replace the production of [Kevin Durant](/nba/players/1231866/kevin-durant/), who is [reportedly out for the next month](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/kevin-durant-injury-update-nets-star-has-sprained-mcl-in-right-knee-expected-to-miss-a-month-per-report/), maybe more, with a sprained MCL. [NBA](/nba/) history to record at least 13 assists without scoring a point, per Basketball Reference.

Ben Simmons has never been an incredible scorer, although he did have that one game where he scored 42 points against Rudy Gobert. Simmons has made a name ...

And now, the Nets also lost another one of those games, with Brooklyn falling to the Celtics, 109-98. Kidd and the Nets lost that game, 94-82. The Nets also lost that game, 91-88.

Ben Simmons scored as many points against the Boston Celtics on Thursday night as he played minutes for the Nets late in the fourth quarter.

It’s all on us as a team to collectively put points on the board, and when he gets his opportunities, we just want him to be aggressive.” On another possession, he made a similar play, passing out of a layup attempt to find Nic Claxton, who — like Watanabe — assumed Simmons was going to shoot and wasn’t ready for the pass. “And that’s also going to help my teammates and get them going.” His end-of-the-game substitution pattern suggests the opposite of what he says, that a team desperate for scoring with Durant out indeed needs Simmons to put pressure on the rim if he’s going to be part of the team’s closing rotation in tight games. So just chemistry and knowing where I’m going to throw the ball.” Simmons wanted to be aggressive seeking his shot but ended up passing out of layup attempts — to teammates who thought he was shooting. The impact that he has to have without Kevin being on the floor. Simmons had full command of the offense when he tallied eight assists in the opening period. He said he doesn’t feel pressure to score more with Durant out of the lineup, but also acknowledged it’s a necessity. Simmons facilitated for Brooklyn’s platoon of three-point shooters and played tough defense on Celtics’ star Jayson Tatum, helping hold him to just 20 points on 7-of-22 shooting from the field. I think it’s something I need to do to help the team,” he said. 28 matchup against the Orlando Magic, but he left that game 11 minutes in with a calf strain.

With 7:50 left in the fourth quarter, and the Nets trailing the Celtics by eight, Simmons passed up on what looked like an easy bucket.

I remember in my first time -- my only time -- in the playoffs, I thought it was going to be just like a regular season game. After Detroit won the Week 9 matchup this year, Rodgers told reporters that Green Bay “can’t lose a game like that against that team.” It would have been one thing to say the Packers “can’t lose a game like that,” but Rodgers specifically said his team can’t lose a game like that to the Lions. And you’re thinking we’re supposed to look to you as a voice of reason.” Kinkhabwala noted that Tomlin is not a “robot” despite the fact that he has a great poker face. He said that they are good guys, and he runs things the right way and he puts his players in the best position to win, like Tomlin. It was a slow start for both teams but when you have the trust in the locker room and the full trust in your head coach that he is not going to switch up regardless of how things go.” Freiermuth said that he appreciates that Tomlin trusts in his players and always keeps his cool. "If I were to cheer for a team other than the Steelers, it would have to be the Bills," Freiermuth said. Responding to a hypothetical question on Aditi Kinkhabwala's podcast "Off The Field" about head coaches he'd like to play for other than Mike Tomlin, Freiermuth said, "I wouldn't want to play for Coach Belichick." Morris has three-plus years of experience as a head coach and interim head coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons, compiling a 21-38 record. “As a player the worst thing is the leader of the team or so-called leader of the team, freaking out in front of you guys. The 73-year-old Bernie Fryer played 120 games between the ABA and NBA from 1973 to 1975, served as a referee from 1978 to 2007, and has been the Vice President and Director of Officials for the NBA since 2008. It was a good time of the season to go home and reflect. Thankfully for the Nets, Simmons is hovering around his career averages in assists (6.0) and rebounds (6.7).

Which puts him in a rare, if somewhat dubious statistical club as one of just 18 players in NBA history to record at least 13 assists without scoring a point, ...

Even if you shave the assist marker to 10, still only six players have authored a 0-10-9 line: Van Lier and Satoransky, Jason Kidd, Scottie Pippen, [Josh Giddey](/nba/players/26646085/josh-giddey/) and now Simmons. [Brooklyn Nets](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/BKN/brooklyn-nets/), no one player can replace the production of [Kevin Durant](/nba/players/1231866/kevin-durant/), who is [reportedly out for the next month](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/kevin-durant-injury-update-nets-star-has-sprained-mcl-in-right-knee-expected-to-miss-a-month-per-report/), maybe more, with a sprained MCL. [NBA](/nba/) history to record at least 13 assists without scoring a point, per Basketball Reference.

Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (10) looks for an open teammate past Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, ...

That’s playing with force. Durant will be reevaluated by the Nets after two weeks, but an ESPN report suggested that he would miss a month with an isolated MCL sprain. The 40-minute mark? Part of the challenge in playing with “force” is doing it consistently. So the pace that he’s going to create for us, the easy shots that he has to create for us because of the pace, it’s a necessity. The 24-minute mark?

Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley didn't hold back in their criticism of Ben Simmons after he scored zero points in the Nets' loss to the Celtics on ...

Not even looking at the basket. "He’s not even looking at the basket. He's not even looking at the basket right now." But now that Durant is expected to be out two to four weeks with an MCL sprain, the Nets need Simmons to make a much larger impact offensively for them to keep winning at a consistent rate. The 24-year-old veteran is a great passer and a tremendous perimeter defender. Yes, he had the assists and rebounds, but you have the ability to score.

The Nets are going to need a lot to survive the loss of Kevin Durant, a lot from everybody on the roster.

I know I need to get to the rim and get buckets. He gets the ball swung back to him, he drives [on Jonas] Valanciunas right hand; that’s playing with force. The 40-minute mark? That means they’ll need Simmons to get into the paint. Simmons will also have to take on some of the rim-protection duty that Durant shouldered helping Nic Claxton. The 24-minute mark? So the pace that he’s going to create for us, the easy shots that he has to create for us because of the pace, it’s a necessity. “Do we want to shoot more 3s probably from the individuals who are high level 3-point shooters? And while nobody is pressuring Simmons to have an epiphany and suddenly become a scorer, the Nets do need him to score more and drive more, if only to create for others. “He’s just got to be himself. The beginning of a possession all the way to the end of it,” coach Jacque Vaughn said. “Playing with a lot of guys who are able to catch-and-shoot, so just know who I’m playing with and what tempo we need to play with.

Erik Slater: Ben Simmons after going scoreless on just 3 shots in tonight's loss: “I think I'm giving the ball up way too many times when I know who I am, ...

[#Celtics](https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Celtics)– [9:02 PM](https://twitter.com/GwashburnGlobe/status/1613718190097408001) [Alex Schiffer](https://twitter.com/Alex__Schiffer)@ [Alex__Schiffer](https://twitter.com/Alex__Schiffer) – [9:14 PM](https://twitter.com/ByJayKing/status/1613720997324066823) [Gary Washburn](https://twitter.com/GwashburnGlobe)@ [GwashburnGlobe](https://twitter.com/GwashburnGlobe) -via [Heavy.com](https://heavy.com/sports/brooklyn-nets/john-collins-nets-asking-price/)/ January 10, 2023 [#Nets](https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Nets)don’t want to be taking mid-rangers at the rate Durant does, and they’ll want TJ Warren’s scoring and Ben Simmons facilitating to 3PT shooters driving them into the bench rotations while Kyrie Irving sits. And so that becomes a habit that you consistently [do] from possession to possession and game to game.” – – Vaughn rolling with Ben Simmons and Claxton together alongside Warren, O’Nea and Yuta. Ben Simmons has 3 fouls approaching halftime and Rob just picked up his second. The 12 assists are tied for the most for any Net in a game this season (Kevin Durant – 11/9 vs. The assists were the most for a Net in any half this season. [@Chris Vernon](https://twitter.com/ChrisVernonShow)and I discussed Celtics-Nets, Ben Simmons, Thunder-Sixers, Josh Giddey, the Warriors, the Alamodome game, Pacers and Jazz trade rumors, and incentives for top playoff seeds. Miised Yuta Watanabe earlier in the game on a kickout when he could have gone up for the layup and just did the same with Claxton underneath the basket.

Shaquille O'Neal didn't hold back when he reacted to the zero-point showing from Ben Simmons against the Celtics during Thursday's Nets loss.

Not even looking at the basket. He’s not even looking at the basket. “He’s the second-best player on the team, he can’t not score. He’s not even looking at the basket right now.” The 6-foot-10 guard collected 13 rebounds and nine assists with two steals and a block. To be fair, the night wasn’t a complete loss for Simmons.

Brooklyn Nets coach Jacque Vaughn outlined a key "next step" for Ben Simmons with Kevin Durant out with a knee injury.

The 40-minute mark? After winning 18 of their last 20, the best stretch in franchise history, Brooklyn stands alone in The 24-minute mark? So the pace that he’s going to create for us, the easy shots that he has to create for us because of the pace, it’s a necessity. Vaughn put the onus on the three-time All-Star to sustain his assertiveness in crunch time with Durant out. That’s going to change as the team braces for life without one of the NBA’s top scorers. Outside of Irving, Ben Simmons headlines the list of new additions to a streaking Nets team. That’s playing with force.” That’s playing with force. [Durant is down](https://clutchpoints.com/nets-news-brooklyn-optimistic-about-kevin-durants-injury-return-timeline) with a similar injury, but new faces decorate Brooklyn’s roster as the team looks for new means of production with their top player sidelined. So that’s the defensive force. Ben Simmons played his best basketball during a six-game stretch in November before being sidelined by a calf strain.