The Ben Simmons effect
For as close as the Nets were two years ago to possibly winning a championship, this is a team that has never had a third star such as Ben Simmons. You can point to James Harden but he’s not nearly the defensive weapon that Simmons is. And that arguably makes him more valuable than a player like Harden for KD and Kyrie.
Simmons may not be the offensive player that he was during his prime in Philadelphia but he’s still one of the best defenders in the league (when he wants to be). And with the Nets, next to KD and Kyrie, that’s all he needs to be to be truly impactful.
Simmons can be a true difference-maker defensively, and just be the dynamic playmaker on the offensive end without ever looking at the basket. Even if the Nets just get that with Simmons, they’ll take it. And recently, he’s looked more and more comfortable on the offensive end. That’s just icing on the cake.