It was Rick Pitino, the first, who compared Ben Simmons and Draymond Green. The former coach of Louisville and the Celtics advised the Nets to use Ben Simmons as a “point forward”: “ Every team needs a Draymond Green, and I think Simmons will probably fill that role. He is the creator, he is the defender. »
It was a year ago, and at the time, Brooklyn relied on Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, while the former Sixers point guard was coming off a blank season. A year later, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant packed their bags, respectively to Dallas and Phoenix, and Ben Simmons would finally be free of his physical problems. Something to excite Spencer Dinwiddie.
“A monster on the transition game”
“At his best, Ben is a much more athletic Draymond Green, but with fewer 3-point shots” explains the Nets leader to Pat Beverley. “When we talk about intelligence on defense, reading the pass lines, quarterbacking the defense and defending positions 1 through 5, he’s one of the few in the NBA who can do it, and s ‘illustrate’.
On the other side of the field, Ben Simmons only wants to play point guard, and that is precisely Spencer Dinwiddie’s position. Can they coexist in the “backcourt”? A priori, Spencer Dinwiddie has an idea of the starting five.
“When Ben is at his best, he takes the rebound, he’s a monster in the transition game, and he creates for others” continues Spencer Dinwiddie. “We hope that we will have enough outside skill with Mikal (Bridges)… Cam Johnson is obviously a top player, and he always shoots 45% from 3-points… On catch-and-shoot, I I’ve always been a good 3-point shooter in my career. We hope that we will give him space, so that he can play in the transition game and create. And obviously there’s Nic (Claxton) playing above the circle. »
“He obviously never had the chance to play with Steph and Klay”
We have a five that holds up with Spencer Dinwiddie as a “combo guard”, capable of playing at fullback, as he did in the past alongside D’Angelo Russell, Kyrie Irving or Luka Doncic.
For Spencer Dinwiddie, Ben Simmons can shine if he is surrounded by triggers, and that has not necessarily been the case in his career. Unlike Draymond Green…
“He obviously never had the chance to play with Steph and Klay, and if he had been in that kind of environment, you would see the same triple-doubles and that kind of thing.” concludes Spencer Dinwiddie.