Video: Simmons At Nets Shootaround; Steve Nash Says He's In A "Pretty Good State Mentally"

Ben Simmons has reported to the Brooklyn Nets' shootaround for the first time. And in what might be one of the least surprising developments of the NBA season, Simmons is now "in a pretty good state mentally" since he arrived in Brooklyn. He was traded for James Harden last week from the Philadelphia 76ers, ending his season-long holdout due to lack of "mental readiness" to play.

Steve Nash on Ben Simmons: “I think he’s in a pretty good state mentally. If we work with him in conjunction to his physical ramp-up to make sure he’s comfortable on and off the floor, I think he’ll be ready to play mentally when he’s physically ready.”
— Chris Milholen (@CMilholenSB) February 14, 2022

Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash says he thinks that once Simmons is physically ready according to the Nets' performance staff, he'll be ready to go.

Of course, Nash was telling everyone who would listen last week that James Harden was not getting traded from the Nets, so it might be best to take his latest interpretations on how things stand with a grain of salt.

Does he think they are trading James Harden yet?
— Rich King (@NetsWorldKing) February 14, 2022

Nash has had lots more to say about his newest Harden replacement, but he might have tread perilously close to Doc Rivers territory with this comment:

Ben does a thousand things on the basketball court. Shooting is not one that I'm dying to see. He is an amazing basketball player, and that's without shooting the ball. So to me there's not a conversation there at all.

While Harden reported to the Sixers, Simmons reported to Nets' shootaround on Monday, and exchanged pleasantries with Kevin Durant and others.