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The Brooklyn Nets are in business. Kevin Durant is coming back after retracting his trade request, which also means Kyrie Irving will remain with the team. Also, who can forget Ben Simmons? He's finally going to play after over a year away from the sport due to injuries and mental health issues. It also appears the Nets may try to use him in a much different way than the Aussie is used to.
Via The Athletic's Alex Schiffer:
“There have been rumblings of Simmons playing center this season and Durant has done so before in small-ball lineups.”
Remember, Simmons is a point guard. But, the Nets have limited options at the five behind Nic Claxton. A rumor surfaced on Wednesday that Brooklyn is interested in veteran Tristan Thompson as a potential second unit piece. However, it's nothing serious at this point.
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Simmons is certainly big enough to hold it down at center given his 6'11” stature. He also weighs 240 pounds. It's not a bad option, to be honest, because the 25-year-old is a solid rebounder and very strong around the hoop.
It is truly hard to know what to expect out of Simmons. The Nets were hoping he'd play at some point last season but it never happened. There is no question the Aussie will make this team better from a defensive standpoint. Could he be rusty offensively? That's certainly possible.
Nevertheless, Ben Simmons may play a small-ball center, just like the Warriors tend to do with Draymond Green at times.
