3 takeaways from the first week of Brooklyn Nets basketball

2: Ben Simmons is back

The former three-time All-Star and two-time All-Defensive first team selected had a lot of questions surrounding him this season. Ben Simmons had a very shaky exit from his former team, the Philadelphia 76ers, and had a back injury last season that plagued him the last two seasons.

Entering this season, there were questions about whether he was healthy, but more importantly, he was mentally straight. In the 76ers struggles, much of the blame was put on Ben Simmons, which took a toll on his psyche.

It is safe to say after the first week of Nets basketball, Simmons is back. In his first game back, he had four points, but he did all the other things he was great at, having ten rebounds, nine assists, and a block.

In the second game, he was much better, having ten points, ten rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and two blocks, shooting 5-of-8 from the floor.

It is great to see that Ben Simmons has returned to his former All-Star form. He was never a scorer or shooter, averaging 14.7 points for a career, but he was always a great rebounder, playmaker, and defender, exactly what the Nets need.

Simmons is in the perfect situation to be himself because he has scorers and shooters all around him, which should prevent him from being an offensive liability. He is easily the team’s best playmaker, which was one thing they struggled with last year.

With the Nets defensive struggles, especially on the perimeter, Simmons is crucial for the success of the Nets going forward. From the first week, Nets fans don’t have to worry how he’s doing because he’s back.