By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
A few days after the blockbuster trade that sent Ben Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets, head coach Steve Nash addressed where the Australian swingman is mentally at currently, hoping that he can make his season debut soon.
“I think he’s in a pretty good place mentally,” Nash commented, per ESPN. “And if we work with him here, in conjunction with his physical ramp up, to make sure he’s comfortable on and off the floor, I think he’ll be ready to play mentally when he’s physically ready.”
Simmons, 25, has not yet played a game well into the 2021-22 season, citing mental health struggles while he was still under contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. There seems to be some progress after the trade, that also sent James Harden to the Sixers, yet Nash refused to give a specific timeline about Simmons’ return to action.
“We have to put him in a position to have the necessary conditioning underneath him and to feel safe with it,” Nash commented. “And then he also has to feel confident and comfortable that the time has come. So whenever that is, hopefully, there’s a great partnership on those decisions.”
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