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Kevin Durant quote sums up vibes around Nets perfectly

Written by ABC AUDIO on October 12, 2022

In the low-stress environment of NBA training camp and preseason games, it’s all puppies and rainbows in Brooklyn. Ben Simmons is picking his spots and being aggressive, Kyrie Irving‘s handles are still mind-blowing, Kevin Durant is Kevin Durant, and there’s no tension about whether Royce O’Neal or Joe Harris should start.

Durant was asked about those training camp vibes and gave an answer that sums up this Nets season perfectly (via Brian Lewis of the New York Post).

It’s the question everyone has about the Nets — what happens when adversity hits? Although this roster has the talent to contend, does it have the mental toughness?

That is particularly true of Ben Simmons, who previously seemed to wilt under playoff pressure. Durant also talked about Simmons and building up his confidence, via Nick Friedell of ESPN.

Simmons has been aggressive, but it’s preseason (and the Nets are 0-2). Puppies and rainbows. We’re waiting for things to get real.

‘Who gives a s*** if you make it or miss it?’ Kevin Durant’s message to Ben Simmons on aggressiveness

Ben Simmons took just three shots in the Brooklyn Nets’ 109-80 preseason loss to the Miami Heat last week. The three-time All-Star struggled to find his rhythm for a shorthanded Nets squad in his second appearance following a 470-day layoff.

Simmons’ passivity in 25 minutes of action was glaring. The former number one pick has shown little assertiveness in attacking the rim or generating contact offensively through the Nets’ first two preseason games. This was expected to an extent as Simmons gets re-acclimated to NBA play. The process is more than just mental for the 26-year-old as he is coming off back surgery this offseason. Head Coach Steve Nash said the team will need to be patient and supportive of Simmons through the process.

“The number one thing is to support him and be there for him, give him belief,” Nash said. We all believe in him. We all think that he’ll make a huge impact. Just gotta give him time. We gotta be patient with him, we hope it comes quickly, but in the event that it doesn’t we just gotta work through and stay patient and give him that confidence because it’s not easy, you know I can’t reiterate that enough.”

“You have to understand he’s gone through a lot,” he continued. “This is a year and a half since he’s played and not to mention the surgery, so that is no small thing. I think not just for a basketball player but for any athlete to come off that much of a layoff from the actual games is very difficult.”

Despite this, questions surrounding Simmons’ mentality will ramp up if his passive approach continues during the opening weeks of the regular season. Simmons’ ability to create for others has been the constant talking point when assessing his fit in Brooklyn. Playing alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving does present less of a need for scoring. But, Nash was firm Wednesday when speaking about the mindset Simmons must bring to the court.

“Ben’s gotta be aggressive,” Nash said. “That’s where playmaking comes from. If you’re not aggressive, playmaking becomes hard. If you’re trying to put pressure on the rim, that’s when playmaking becomes easy. Getting him back to that burst, that athleticism, that ability to just out-physical people, that’s a huge component of his playmaking.”

“He’s not just gonna come down and put his back to people and zip balls around the gym,” he continued. “He’s gotta break the paint and make plays, whether it’s in transition or in the halfcourt.”

Ben Simmons acknowledged the need for him to be more assertive postgame Thursday, saying there “needs to be more of a balance” between his passing and shooting and “three shots definitely is not enough”. Durant carried the offensive load against Miami, scoring 22 points on 8/12 shooting. When asked how he can help Simmons build his offensive confidence, Durant said he emphasizes an aggressive approach to Simmons, something his teammates do across the board.

“Just trust in him, pass him the ball when he’s open, tell him to be aggressive,” Durant said. “I mean, I don’t do too much. Like I said, I’m not here to be babysitting anybody. Ben knows that if he’s got a time to be aggressive, go be aggressive. Who gives a sh*t if you make it or miss it? We just like you being aggressive, and he tells me the same thing.”

“So we’re always feeding each other that type of energy and encouragement,” he continued. “From me to him to Kai (Irving) to Cam (Thomas) to Patty (Mills), we’re always talking to each other about ‘look, we need to be more aggressive to look to score the ball.’ I mean, that’s the name of the game, putting the ball in the hoop. So when Ben is aggressive to get downhill and looks for everybody and then puts the ball in the rim, that’s going to be a plus for our team. But I don’t have to tell him this every day. He knows what it is.”

Similar to Nash’s comments, Durant acknowledged it will take time for Ben Simmons to regain his aggressive approach. The 12-time All-Star said stacking reps and gaining a firm understanding of his role will help his new teammate gain confidence more than anything.

“I think he’s building his confidence,” Durant said. “He knows that we all trust him, but just getting the reps under his belt. There’s nothing like playing an NBA game. So you can work out and train and play pickup all you want, but it’s nothing like playing with a jersey on under them lights.

“So it’s just about getting reps and feeling confident as each day goes by and realizing what he brings to the team,” he continued. “I think that’s the underrated part about being a pro, is once you find out your role things are pretty easy for you.”

Kevin Durant Urges Ben Simmons to Be Aggressive

The Brooklyn Nets want Ben Simmons to be aggressive

Just like the Philadelphia 76ers did, the Brooklyn Nets want Ben Simmons to be aggressive. Often times the biggest flaw in Simmons’ game is his timidity, even more so than his lack of an outside shot. While his outside shot is still nonexistent, his size advantage creates mismatches that Brooklyn wants him to attack. In the case of Simmons, more aggression and assertiveness does not have to mean more jump shots.

When asked how to make Simmons more confident, Kevin Durant told reporters, “Trust in him, pass him the ball, tell him be aggressive… I’m not here to babysit anybody. Ben knows that. If he’s got a time to be aggressive, go be aggressive. Who gives a shit if you miss it? We like you being aggressive.”

Durant and the Nets understand that it will be Simmons who ultimately determines the level of aggression he plays with, and they can only push him so far. The team can urge him to be aggressive, but that decision is one that Simmons has to make on his own. If he does, it should unlock more offensive possibilities for a Nets team with several weapons on that side of the ball.

Kevin Durant: Ben Simmons Should Be Aggressive, Knows Nets Aren’t Here to Babysit

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant made it clear he’s here to support new teammate Ben Simmons as he returns from a yearlong absence, but there will be no coddling of the three-time All-Star.

“Trust in him, pass him the ball, tell him be aggressive…(But) I’m not here to babysit anybody,” Durant told reporters Tuesday when asked about building Simmons’ confidence. “Ben knows that. If he’s got a time to be aggressive go be aggressive. Who gives a s–t if you miss it? We like you being aggressive.”

Simmons missed the entire 2021-22 season due to a combination of a holdout from the Philadelphia 76ers and a back injury after his trade to the Nets. He cited mental health issues for his refusal to play for the Sixers after being pilloried by fans for his dreadful performance in Philadelphia’s 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Despite having three All-Star appearances, two All-Defensive selections and one All-NBA Team on his resume, Simmons is one of the league’s most consistently criticized players. Fans and pundits alike have ridiculed him for his lack of shooting touch and a seeming unwillingness to stretch beyond his comfort zone in games.

The Nets have tried to quell criticism by saying they’re not expecting Simmons to play anything other than his game.

“I don’t care if he ever shoots a jump shot for the Brooklyn Nets. He’s welcome to, but that is not what makes him special and not what we need,” Nets coach Steve Nash told reporters last month. “He’s a great complement to our team, and he’s an incredible basketball player because of his versatility.”

Even without a shooting presence, Simmons is one of the NBA’s most unique stars. He’s a 6’10” point guard who possesses elite passing skills in the open court, excellent finishing ability near the rim and the capability of defending all five positions on the floor with his length. There is no more versatile defender in basketball than Simmons when healthy.

That said, it’ll be curious to see what type of player the Nets get from a physical and mental standpoint after a lost 2021-22 season.

Nets finding right balance for Kevin Durant’s minutes is key

Kevin Durant turned 34 two weeks ago Thursday. After celebrating his 33rd by averaging the most minutes he had played since the 2013-14 season, the hope is that this year won’t come with a similar milestone.

“In a perfect world, we can really limit his minutes so he’s fresh and can get through the season,” Nets coach Steve Nash said following Tuesday’s practice. “But we don’t live in a perfect world.

“It would be ideal if we could keep his minutes down. I think it’s something we just have to communicate on continually and try to figure out the best action forward, not just in the day-to-day, but in the big picture.”

Translation: The Nets know that fewer minutes would be ideal for Durant, who missed the 2019-20 season after tearing his Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals. They also know it is not particularly likely that they can afford to keep him off the floor as much as they would like.

Durant averaged 37.2 minutes per game last season in 55 games, saying at one point that he felt the Nets’ season was “derailed” by an injury to his left MCL. Though other factors were very much at play, Durant’s lack of availability certainly didn’t help, and the Nets were more dependent on him than they would have liked, given their trio of superstars.

The picture is different this season, with Ben Simmons having replaced James Harden and Kyrie Irving being fully eligible to play home games. But working Simmons in will take time, which everyone involved acknowledges, and Durant is less than optimistic that he’ll see a lighter workload.

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“Every coach that I play for wants to keep my minutes down,” Durant said. “But when the game’s tight or you’re not playing well, you’re not gonna look over and say, ‘Well, I wanna keep his minutes down tonight.’ He’s gonna throw me in the game.

“We’re playing well, my minutes will be down. If we’re not, I’ll play more.”

Indeed, Durant was kept under 35 minutes a game every year he was with the Warriors, when there was essentially nothing to worry about until the playoffs started. It’s not exactly new for an aging superstar to be forced to carry a large minutes load, though. LeBron James also averaged 37.2 per game in 56 contests with the Lakers last season, and led the league in minutes per in each of his last two seasons in Cleveland.

Asked about his ideal workload, Durant joked, “48 a game,” but he as everyone else knows that isn’t the case.

“It can be really challenging,” Nash said. “Especially when we’re not healthy. When you’re going down in the pecking order, a lot of guys that are in the rotation or starters that are out, it does make it more difficult [to limit his minutes]. But that’s part of it. We’ll have some decisions to make and we just gotta communicate through it.”

To that end, the Nets should at least be able to start the season with their Big 3 and most of the rotation intact, something that could essentially never be said about last year’s team. Especially as they try to integrate Simmons into the mix, keeping that consistent will be vital.

“It’d be great if we could,” Nash said. “Last year, obviously we didn’t have the luxury but any kind of consistency, time together to build in a certain direction would be fantastic with this group.”

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Kevin Durant quote sums up vibes around Nets perfectly

Written by ABC AUDIO on October 12, 2022

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Kevin Durant quote sums up vibes around Nets perfectly

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