By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Former first-overall Rookie selection Ben Simmons finally had a convincing outing in the ongoing NBA preseason after the Brooklyn Nets dismantled the Washington Wizards, 131-92, on October 15, 2024.
Simmons was all-systems-go right from the opening tip and was the main reason for Brooklyn’s fantastic start, bullying his way with his aggressive drives to the basket.
The versatile point guard filled in the spot of the injured Nic Claxton and played the center position, a weird situation to be in after acting as a floor general in his career.
Despite the role switch against the Wizards, Simmons still proved his worth and capped off the victory with 11 points, five rebounds, and two assists.
It was a highly efficient outing for Simmons after only playing 13 minutes in the game and shot 5/7 from the field.
Simmons got two early buckets off drives after testing Washington’s frontcourt defense in the opening frame, while finishing off with several put back layups to help him reach double digits in scoring.
He also didn’t commit a single turnover and provided great help defense that limited the Wizards to just 50 points in the paint for the entire game.
Cam Thomas led all scorers for the Nets and tallied 17 points, five rebounds, one assist, and a steal, while Dennis Schroder delivered 13 markers, seven dimes, two boards, and a block.
Brooklyn might just unlock one of their most efficient offensive sets as the Schroder-Simmons connection clicked against the Wizards, with the German deploying several pick-and-roll plays that freed up the versatile leftie.
Simmons and the Nets are looking to sustain their momentum on October 17, 2024, as they face the revamped Philadelphia 76ers in the first scheduled game of the NBA preseason.
