TAMPA, FLORIDA – APRIL 27: Kevin Durant #7 and Kyrie Irving #11 of the Brooklyn Nets converse during the first half against the Toronto Raptors at Amalie Arena on April 27, 2021 in Tampa, Florida, Ben Simmons will not have a clear role with the Brooklyn Nets. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
There is a perception that Ben Simmons will be the Brooklyn Nets’ version of Draymond Green. David Vertsberger of SNY stated on February 10 that Simmons could be the connective tissue for the Nets, similar to how Draymond Green is for the Warriors.
However, Simmons will not have a defined role on the Nets due to his co-stars. Simmons is going to a team that already has Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Ben Simmons will not have a clear role with the Brooklyn Nets: Durant and Irving’s tendencies
Durant and Irving spend a significant amount of their possessions in isolation or as pick-and-roll ball handlers. Irving has spent a significant amount of time as a pick and roll ball handler, as the play type accounts for 35.8 percent of his possessions, averaging 8.2 per game. Irving has thrived in this role, shooting 46.8 percent on 6.7 attempts; he has generated 8.0 points per game.
Irving is not the only one that has spent a significant amount of time as a pick and roll ball handler. Durant has spent 16.6 percent of his possessions as a pick and roll ball handler, averaging 3.9 possessions per game. He has shot 47.1 percent from the field since 2015 on 2.9 attempts. This field goal percentage has allowed him to score 3.9 points – 14.6 percent of his scoring output.
Durant is not far behind Irving, as he has spent 15 percent of possessions in isolation, averaging 3.6 per game. He has shot 47 percent on 2.9 shots per game, creating 3.9 points. Durant’s isolation production has accounted for 14.6 percent of his scoring output.
Brooklyn </a>Nets’ version of Draymond Green. <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/02/15/ben-simmons-role-brooklyn-nets/"https://www.yahoo.com/video/breaking-down-ben-simmons-fit-225712768.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Vertsberger of SNY</a> stated on February 10 that Simmons could be the connective tissue for the Nets, similar to how Draymond Green is for the Warriors.</p>
<p>However, Simmons will not have a defined role on the Nets due to his co-stars. Simmons is going to a team that already has Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.</p>
<h2>Ben Simmons will not have a clear role with the Brooklyn Nets: Durant and Irving’s tendencies</h2>
<p>Durant and Irving spend a significant amount of their possessions in isolation or as pick-and-roll ball handlers. Irving has spent a significant amount of time as a pick and roll ball handler, as the play type accounts for 35.8 percent of his possessions, averaging 8.2 per game. Irving has thrived in this role, shooting 46.8 percent on 6.7 attempts; he has generated 8.0 points per game.</p>
<p>Irving is not the only one that has spent a significant amount of time as a pick and roll ball handler. Durant has spent 16.6 percent of his possessions as a pick and roll ball handler, averaging 3.9 possessions per game. He has shot 47.1 percent from the field since 2015 on 2.9 attempts. This field goal percentage has allowed him to score 3.9 points – 14.6 percent of his scoring output.</p>
<p>Durant is not far behind Irving, as he has spent 15 percent of possessions in isolation, averaging 3.6 per game. He has shot 47 percent on 2.9 shots per game, creating 3.9 points. Durant’s isolation production has accounted for 14.6 percent of his scoring output.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/02/15/ben-simmons-role-brooklyn-nets/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Durant's health issues </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">DETROIT, MICHIGAN – DECEMBER 12: Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets looks on against the Detroit Pistons during the first quarter at Little Caesars Arena on December 12, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan, Ben Simmons will not have a clear role with the Brooklyn Nets. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Ben Simmons will not have a clear role with the Brooklyn Nets: Teammates’ roles and Durant’s health</h2>
<p>Durant’s and Irving’s skillsets have forced their teammates to spend a significant amount of their possessions as roll men and cutters. For example, Nic Claxton has spent 28.4 percent of his possessions as a roll man, averaging two possessions per game.</p>
<p>Claxton has usually been a cutter when he is not a roll man, spending 31 percent of his possessions in that play type, averaging two possessions per game in that role as well.</p>
<p>Simmons doesn’t have much experience as a roll man in professional ranks, averaging 0.4 per game. He is shooting 51.3 percent on those attempts, creating 0.4 points per game. Simmons is more accustomed to the cutter role, averaging 2.1 per game.</p>
<p>He is shooting 69.6 percent from the field on 1.8 shots per game and averages 2.8 points as a cutter. However, his role will likely shift depending on the availability of his co-stars.</p>
<p>Durant and Irving have a history of not being able to stay on the court for a full season. Durant has only played 35.3 percent of all eligible games during his tenure as a Net due to various injuries.</p>
<p>For example, after a game against the Golden State Warriors, on February 13, 2021, Brooklyn announced that Durant had suffered a mild left hamstring strain, that was only supposed to keep him out for two games.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, Brooklyn revealed that Durant had a strength deficiency in his left hamstring less than a week later. Consequently, they decided to keep him out of action for a little longer in an effort to regain strength in that hamstring. The left hamstring would end up causing Kevin Durant to miss 23 straight games over the course of nearly two months.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/02/15/ben-simmons-role-brooklyn-nets/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Irving's availability </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 14: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Brooklyn Nets dribbles the ball against Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on April 14, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Nets 123-117, Ben Simmons will not have a clear role with the Brooklyn Nets. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Ben Simmons will not have a clear role with the Brooklyn Nets: Irving’s Availability</h2>
<p>Durant isn’t the only player who hasn’t been able to stay on the court during his Nets tenure. Irving has only participated in 43.8 percent of all eligible games during his Brooklyn Nets tenure due to injuries and refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Irving only played 20 games during his first season as a Net due to a right shoulder impingement.</p>
<p>Irving began to experience pain in his right shoulder on November 4, 2019, in a game versus the Pelicans. He complained that he was unable to lift his arm to shoot the basketball due to the pain in his shoulder.</p>
<p>Consequently, the Brooklyn Nets sent Kyrie to get a cortisone shot on Christmas Eve in 2019, hoping that it would reduce the pain. Unfortunately, the shot didn’t alleviate the pain, and he had to get season-ending shoulder surgery to correct the impingement.</p>
<p>The 2019-20 season isn’t the only time Irving has been out of action for the Brooklyn Nets, as he has only played in 14 games this season because he continues to refuse to oblige the New York City vaccine mandate.</p>
<p>The New York City vaccine mandate states that a New York City sports team player must receive one COVID-19 vaccine shot in order to be eligible to play home games. Irving is against getting the vaccine because he believes in freedom of choice. He expressed his displeasure with companies firing employees who refused to get vaccinated, too.</p>
<p>Consequently, when one or both co-stars are out, the Nets have to accentuate the strengths of Simmons in order to remain competitive. Simmons is a player who thrives in transition. He has spent 25.9 percent of his possessions in this play type since 2017, averaging 4.4 per game.</p>
<p>Simmons has shot 62.6 percent from the field on 2.7 attempts per game. He has averaged 4.4 points in transition throughout his career – 27.7 percent of his scoring output.</p>
<p>In conclusion, Simmons’ role will solely depend on whether his co-stars are available or not.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Grading all 30 teams on their trade-deadline-deals" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/2022/02/12/nba-trade-deadline-grades/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/02/15/ben-simmons-role-brooklyn-nets/"https://hoopshabit.com/2022/02/12/nba-trade-deadline-grades/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Grading all 30 teams on their trade-deadline-deals </a> </div>
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