Sean Marks on Ben Simmons: We saw how he wanted to get out there

“Frustrating from an organizational standpoint. but even more so from Ben’s,: said Marks. “I had a conversation with Ben. We all did. We saw how he wanted to get out there. To be honest, I’ve got to admire that. He tries to do 3-on-3, 5-on-5 and then you turn around and get an MRI, You see the disc herniation has gotten worse. and you think, well this guy is pushing through something that he shouldn’t be pushing through. Nobody wants to have surgery. It’s the last resort but it’s bygone now and we’ve got to move forward on this, we’ve got to support him and so forth.”
Source: Net Income @ NetsDaily

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Austin Krell @NBAKrell
Every once in a while, I’ll remember Joel Embiid tweeted the Fendi meme with no other comment immediately after the Ben Simmons trade and start laughing. – 11:39 AM

Quinton Mayo @RealQuintonMayo
Patrick Beverly is going IN on CP3 right now on “Get Up.”
“He can’t guard.”
“He’s a cone.”
“Ain’t nobody losing sleep over CP3 and the Phoenix Suns.”
“Give him the Ben Simmons slander. The PG-13 slander.” pic.twitter.com/vabXsdUWkJ – 9:41 AM

Peter Vecsey @PeterVecsey1
Ben Simmons just closed on his house in South Jersey. A week after back surgery. Who says he’s not tough?! – 4:20 PM

Marc Stein @TheSteinLine
Philly postscript: After all the talk about the 76ers potentially wasting peak Joel Embiid if they didn’t find a Ben Simmons deal, their season unraveled anyway after a James Harden trade that might have inflicted longer-term damage.
Sunday column: marcstein.substack.com/p/letting-down… – 1:08 PM

Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Nets, Ben Simmons reportedly to work together on summer plan nba.nbcsports.com/2022/05/15/net… – 9:16 AM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
#Nets, Ben Simmons commit to work together in offseason: ‘Everyone is confident’ nypost.com/2022/05/14/net… via @nypostsports – 10:33 PM

Aaron J. Fentress @AaronJFentress
Hypothetical: Nets balk at bringing back Kyrie. KD wants out but Portland can’t land him. However, Ben Simmons becomes available.
Would you trade a good player not named Lillard or Simons AND the 6th pick (assuming it remains there) for Ben Simmons?
Me: In a heartbeat. – 12:53 PM

Dwight Jaynes @dwightjaynes
Just wondering… where are all those armchair GMs who wanted the Trail Blazers to give up years worth of picks and players to obtain Ben Simmons or James Harden? – 9:48 AM

More on this storyline

Asked for lessons learned from the Simmons off-again, on-again saga. Marks used the opportunity to critique the critics. “It’s a little bit of a testament that 1) he tried to get back out there and tried to help his teammates and secondly, we have to be careful not judge people. And if you’re outside that medical profession, when you’re chiming in from afar. You just have to be a bit careful of what you’re saying because you really don’t know,” said Marks. -via NetsDaily / May 16, 2022

Ben Simmons and his camp will sit down with the Nets and hammer out a plan for the ensuing months, one intended to put him on the best path to both physical and mental health and a successful return to the court.  “We will work together with the Nets on a summer plan,” a source close to Simmons told The Post. “Everyone is confident.”  -via New York Post / May 15, 2022

The Nets want the rehabbing Simmons to be in Brooklyn as much as possible, putting Philadelphia as far in the review mirror as he can. The 25-year-old finally is offloading his South Jersey mansion, which can only help toward that end, one small step.  Simmons — who forced a trade from the 76ers to the Nets on Feb. 10, but didn’t play at all this past season — sold his suburban mansion in Moorestown, N.J., for $4.55 million, and has his condo in the Ritz Carlton Residences in downtown Philadelphia on the market as well. Both listings were reported by The Dirt. -via New York Post / May 15, 2022