Ben Simmons to Make Nets Debut on Monday

Nets fans have been waiting for a chance to see Ben Simmons take the court, and it appears to be here. Almost.

The Nets open the preseason on Monday vs. the 76ers, Simmons is expected to play, coach Steve Nash said.

“Barring any setbacks between now and game time, we should have all the guys that have been participating available,” Nash said, via Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “It’s a lot of fun for me. I’m such a believer in his game. He’s such a dynamic, unique player, does so many things while on the basketball court.

“And he’s a great complement to our team. He makes his teammates better at both ends. So just giving him the support and platform to return from the injury and then long layoff, and then allowing him to continually grow with our group. So, it’s very exciting.”

That will mark Simmons’ first time in any sort of game action in more than a year — as he missed all of last season after first citing mental health issues with the 76ers, then experiencing a back issue with the Nets.

He last played in a game in June 2021 with Philadelphia, and Simmons himself indicated he may be ready when speaking with reporters earlier this week.

“Naturally I’ve always been one of the guys who can get their fitness up pretty quickly, so that really wasn’t a worry for me,” he said. “It’s the endurance of just playing five-on-five, getting hit up and down. But overall, I feel great.”

Simmons was acquired in the James Harden trade with the Sixers in February. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are also expected to take the court for Brooklyn, though their action is expected to be considerably limited, given that it’s a preseason game.