Nets' Ben Simmons dishes on Joel Embiid, air balls, KD and winning a title in Brooklyn

Ben Simmons looks and sounds similar he's successful a precise bully spot with the Brooklyn Nets.

Sitting successful the padded courtside seats of Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum during shootaround connected Wednesday, the 26-year-old swingman says, aft astir a twelvemonth and a fractional distant from an NBA floor, helium is embracing his caller relation alongside established stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

The Nets are banking connected it -- and person supported the three-time All-Star arsenic helium has dealt with his intelligence wellness aft a tumultuous exit from the Philadelphia 76ers and offseason backmost surgery.

Following Wednesday's preseason triumph against the Bucks -- a crippled successful which Simmons contributed 7 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists -- Irving couldn't fell his excitement astir the progression helium continues to spot from his teammate and however important the interaction a steadfast Simmons volition person connected the roster.

"It's affirmative news," Irving told ESPN aft that win. "Positive quality to person [Simmons] beryllium retired there, conscionable playing his game. And we don't privation him reasoning astir excessively overmuch different than conscionable playing with that aforesaid nary fearfulness mentality and we're going up to people's thorax this year."

As Simmons prepares for his comeback season, helium sat down with ESPN to sermon however he's feeling mentally and physically, his upcoming instrumentality to Philadelphia successful November and what it would mean to assistance pb the Nets backmost to prominence aft truthful overmuch clip distant from the game.

[Editor's note: Answers person been somewhat edited for clarity and brevity.]

How would you enactment into words however overmuch you missed the game?

Simmons: You know, the archetypal crippled I came backmost and played against the Sixers? The feeling of being connected the tribunal was truthful surreal it conscionable felt similar that's what I was missing, successful the consciousness of my life. Being connected that level ... was conscionable like, 'This is wherever I'm expected to be. This is wherever I consciousness comfy -- connected the court.' So it's a blessing conscionable to beryllium backmost present and moving and playing against the champion players successful the world.

How overmuch are you looking guardant to being retired present again and reminding radical however bully you tin be?

Simmons: I can't wait. But this is my 3rd crippled and I haven't adjacent deed 30 minutes [of playing time] yet. I've gotten lone a fewer reps up playing hoops successful the past year, truthful it's going to instrumentality time, but I'm excited to bash that due to the fact that I cognize what I'm susceptible of. It's patience. It's doing the small things, moving each day, and getting backmost there.

On media time you said you consciousness assured that not lone are you successful a bully spot mentally, but that you'll enactment determination passim the year. How would you picture the enactment you enactment successful to get to that place?

Simmons: It's taken a batch of work. But that's a portion of my life, mundane regular now, is moving connected myself, staying successful that place. Everyone has down times and things similar that, but conscionable acknowledging what you cognize astir yourself and what puts you successful those places, and past however to get retired of it.

What bash you bash erstwhile radical are like, "Ben can't shoot, oregon Ben's not going to spell to the line?"

Simmons: They're going to accidental that regardless. Even if I deed a shot, what are they going to say? 'I inactive can't.' F---, I can't marque everybody happy, you know? ... That's similar saying tin Giannis [Antetokounmpo] shoot? Can he?

Not successful the beginning. But present [Giannis' changeable is] better.

Simmons: Yeah, better. But, what is it? Is it not taking arsenic galore shots arsenic radical privation maine to? Is it not hitting each shot? Fans are ever going to accidental something. And it's astir apt thing that they're like, 'Yo, I tin get successful his caput by doing this due to the fact that I cognize this has ever been thing that radical person spoken about.' But astatine the aforesaid clip [people say], 'Ben tin marque large plays,' truthful ...

How bash you artifact retired each the sound that seems to find you?

Simmons: It finds maine each the time. And it doesn't f----ing stop. Sometimes I'm adjacent sick of it, but past I'm like, 'OK, I'm Ben Simmons,' you know? Even the different time determination was a clip of maine aerial balling a changeable astatine the park. Meanwhile, similar 10 guys aerial balled aggregate shots. So it's similar radical volition find 1 clip and effort to marque it that everything -- similar Ben can't bash [this oregon that]. You deliberation I'm conscionable aerial balling each shot? It's not true. But you got to person pugnacious tegument and I recognize that, but I can't instrumentality everything personally. It's societal media.

Why bash you deliberation determination is truthful overmuch ire directed toward you?

Simmons: Because radical cognize what I tin do, what I'm susceptible of. I judge that's what it is. Like if I was idiosyncratic that wasn't susceptible of doing definite things, I don't deliberation radical would beryllium connected my ass arsenic much. And I don't caput it due to the fact that it benignant of motivates maine successful a way. Obviously, sometimes it's a batch for anybody to woody with that, but I look astatine it a small spot similar a respect thing, successful a way. Because if that wasn't the case, past determination would beryllium nary upside to maine doing thing well.

If I travel retired and play a large game, past you can't accidental anything, you know? That's wherefore it's benignant of chill being connected a squad with [Durant and Irving] due to the fact that they've been done antithetic things successful their careers, wherever they tin benignant of relate.

To this constituent -- I've ne'er been successful an arena wherever the full spot is chanting "F--- Ben Simmons!" [March 10 astatine 76ers]. What was that like?

Simmons: That's erstwhile I didn't play, right? When I was hurt. I don't truly cognize however I felt, due to the fact that I don't instrumentality it personally.

Why not?

Simmons: Because I don't cognize them. They don't cognize me. They cognize the hoops broadside of me, but that's not who I americium arsenic a person. And that's the competitory quality of being successful a hostile spot similar Philadelphia, you know? I was drafted there, it ended successful a mode wherever not everyone was blessed astir it, but that's basketball, right? And it's Philly. (chuckles) Like I don't cognize if that's happening successful Indiana oregon thing similar that. That's Philly. That's Philly for you.

Are you looking guardant to that crippled [against the 76ers connected Nov. 22]?

Simmons: F---, I can't hold to spell there, yeah. But for me, everything's an acquisition and a learning situation. So for maine I'm capable to larn thing that I've ne'er been done before. I've ne'er been traded and played against a squad that I got traded from. Kev has, Ky has, a batch of guys have, but I've ne'er been successful that concern truthful -- you person to spell done it. Ky went backmost to Boston, and helium didn't play well, but it's a lot. We're people, too. We privation to spell retired determination and beryllium everyone wrong.

You spent truthful overmuch clip successful Philadelphia; bash you deliberation there's ever a constituent wherever that narration volition creaseless itself out?

Simmons: Who knows? I can't foretell the future. I would person ne'er told myself this would person gone this mode astatine the commencement of my career. Who knows if successful 4 oregon 5 years I extremity up going back? I don't know. It could beryllium a full antithetic situation, but for present I don't privation to marque my caput up and accidental it's not imaginable for thing to change.

While we're connected this taxable -- person you talked to Joel [Embiid] yet?

Simmons: I don't speech to Jo. We ne'er truly spoke.

You guys had a batch of occurrence erstwhile you were there. How would you picture that narration now?

Simmons: I don't deliberation determination was truly a narration there. Like successful presumption of a friendship? You tin effort arsenic hard arsenic you privation to effort to beryllium adjacent to somebody, beryllium their friend, immoderate it is, but everyone is antithetic arsenic people, truthful for me, it's ne'er personal. I don't person immoderate choler oregon hatred towards him. He is who helium is and I americium who I am. And we've got our idiosyncratic lives. And enactment is basketball, truthful successful that moment, my extremity is to triumph and I got to triumph with Jo. He's a large player, we conscionable didn't get it done.

Do you consciousness similar the Nets person accepted you and that they're down you?

Simmons: Definitely. I got enactment from each these guys, the coaching staff, the organization, truthful it's up to maine to spell retired determination to bash my occupation present and work. ... It feels similar home. It feels mean to beryllium present and travel to work.

Have you talked to [Durant and Irving] specifically astir handling the disapproval that comes your way?

Simmons: Me and Ky virtually were conscionable talking astir it earlier practice. He's similar 'Why is everybody connected our heads?' F---, we're absorbing people, I guess. Some guys you wouldn't speech astir due to the fact that you conscionable don't care.

What would it mean to you to assistance this Nets squad triumph a title?

Simmons: It would mean everything. To me, that would beryllium a imagination travel true. In a concern similar this, being successful Brooklyn with these guys and this city, it would beryllium incredible. But we got a agelong mode to go, but I deliberation this team's susceptible of peculiar things.

Would you accidental you're successful the champion spot that you've been successful a while?

Simmons: For sure. I deliberation so. You cognize what? I cognize so.