It's clear that Ben Simmons hasn't been playing like his old self, the version that was balling night in and night out with the Philadelphia 76ers. For Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn, it is a real challenge for him to make Simmons feel as comfortable as he could to finally unlock the guard-forward's best form.

Via Brian Lewis of The New York Post:

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“I told (Simmons) Im gonna try my best to put you in a position – whether that's the group I put you out there with, whether that's the time you check in – but our ongoing conversations to try to make him feel comfortable as a basketball player, thats my challenge.”

Simmons is averaging just 5.2 points per game on 44.0 percent shooting from the field so far in the 2022-23 NBA season. Even for a pass-first player like Simmons, those numbers are a complete letdown, especially since he is averaging 15.6 points in his NBA career. He is only taking 5.0 attempts from the field per game with the Nets, the fewest he's averaging in a season. The Nets have tried using him off the bench, but it doesn't seem to be moving the needle much. To many basketball fans, it can appear as though they are seeing an alien version of Ben Simmons, who used to be a force on both ends of the floor.

Still, the Nets are doing their best to create opportunities for Simmons, who will have to, at some point this season, finally step up and help Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving carry Brooklyn.