Why New Brooklyn Nets Head Coach Jordi Fernandez Can Revive Ben Simmons' Career

Ben Simmons' 2023-24 season with the Brooklyn Nets was up and down, to say the least. He started his season fully healthy and playing from October to November. Unfortunately, injuries kept him out until late January, and after a February return that saw him average just 5.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists, Simmons never played again due to back issues.

Ever since he left the Philadelphia 76ers, the three-time All-Star hasn't been the same. He can still pass at a high level, putting up 5.7 assists in 23.9 minutes per game last season, however, the scoring numbers have dipped.

There is a chance for a Simmons' career renaissance, though. The Nets recently brought in Jordi Fernandez as the new head coach, a first-time NBA head coach with a philosophy that many fans seem to like, and for good reason.

In an interview with YES Network’s Sarah Kustok, Fernandez gave his many coaching philosophies, that many would argue cater to Simmons' play style.

Fernandez emphasizes selflessness, and valuing team success over individual success. For the Australian, this is especially valuable for his game, as his passing ability can play to the strength of the offensive philosophy.

Simmons also loves to run in transition with the ball, and that aligns with Fernandez's fast-paced strategy. The pace-and-space offense can give Simmons a form of distribution to shooters. It's needed, as Brooklyn ranked 25th in pace this past season at 97.56.

With Simmons on the floor, the Nets' pace was 98.21, which would slide them into the 18th spot compared to the rest of the league. Imagine how much faster the offense can be with Fernandez actually emphasizing this in games with Simmons on the floor. With so many young legs like Cam Thomas, Mikal Bridges, and Noah Clowney, Fernandez seems to understand how to utilize the players' strengths.

It's looking like the Nets aren't going to lose Simmons' anytime soon. He's making $40.3 million in 2025, the last year of his extension from 2021. Nobody wants to take on that salary given his production and health. The Nets are going to have to ride it out, whether they want to or not.

The Nets went 7-8 with the LSU product on the floor this season, and although it's a small sample size, the one game in which Simmons had 10 or more assists saw Brooklyn put up a season-high 147 points. When Simmons had a double-double, Brooklyn went 2-1 while putting up an average of 133.3 points.

Are injuries a concern? Of course. Is his production limited? Yes. However, with a confidence boost from the new coaching staff and fresh offense, it's not unreasonable to say that Simmons can become a reliable playmaker once again.

Not too long ago we were hoping that if Simmons could just improve his jumper in the offseason, his team could be unstoppable. We now know that at 27 years old, it's not happening for him. What we can hope for is that the fact that Fernandez's philosophies align with Simmons' style of play will translate to wins on the court.

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