Brooklyn Nets: 3 takeaways from 116-79 loss to Indiana Pacers
By Phil Watson
3. Henry Sims may have played his way back to the NBA
When last we saw Henry Sims in an NBA uniform, it was at the end of the 2015-16 season, when he caught on with the Brooklyn Nets, first on a pair of 10-day contracts and then for the final couple of weeks of the season.
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Sims played in 14 games, starting four, and averaged 6.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 18.8 minutes, shooting 42.9 percent from the floor and 83.3 percent at the line.
And in those 263 minutes of NBA action, Sims attempted zero 3-pointers.
As a part-time starter for the processing Philadelphia 76ers in 2014-15, Sims gave it some effort from outside, but with less-than-sterling results, hitting 4-of-22 attempts in 73 games. Those 22 attempts ran his career total to 23.
So it was quite a surprise to see the 6-foot-10, 250-pounder step out to the arc and smoothly let it fly.
He finished with 21 points in 22 minutes, was aggressive with the ball, set solid screens (a rarity on Friday, as most of the screening was touch-and-go without the whole touching … thing) and when he did put it up, he did it with confidence.
Despite being out of the league the last two seasons, splitting 2016-17 between the G-League’s Salt Lake City Stars and the Shanxi Brave Dragons in the Chinese Basketball Association before playing last season with Vanoli Cremona in Italy, if Sims can replicate his play in Las Vegas, he’ll be on a roster this season.
Given an ever-increasing desire for bigs who can also stretch the floor, if you show you have an aptitude for it, there is likely a spot for you somewhere.
Still, Sims putting up three 3-balls in a game was a shocker, considering he attempted one in the Pacers’ first four games and tried 10 last season in Italy, making two.
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He did attempt 44 in 2016-17 in the G-League and in China. But he looked smooth from out there Friday and if a team needs a backup big with at least a modicum of range, Henry Sims might be the guy.