Brian Goorjian sends ‘very important’ message on Ben Simmons’ Boomers future
Boomers coach Brian Goorjian has despatched an “important” message on Ben Simmons’ future within the nationwide group forward of the upcoming FIBA World Cup.
Simmons’ decade-long absence from the Boomers dragged on this yr, with the Australian as a substitute persevering with to deal with his rehabilitation from a lingering again damage.
Provided Simmons is match to return for the Nets subsequent season — and all news to return out Brooklyn up to now has been optimistic — a long-awaited return to the nationwide group could possibly be on the playing cards on the Paris Olympics.
Although chatting with ESPN forward of this yr’s World Cup, Goorjian made it clear he gained’t be begging for Simmons to return — and the 27-year-old is aware of it too.
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“This is very important,” Goorjian mentioned.
“In my dealings with Ben, it’s always been: I’m not recruiting you. It’s important for the country [to know], we’re not going, ‘please, Ben, please, we don’t have anything if you don’t play’. We’re not like that at all.
“It’s like, you’re fantastic, and you’re a great player and the country loves you, and the country wants you in green and gold, and our team does.
“But, in turn, this is really good for you. Because you get to walk through these doors and drop everything behind and be you, and play with your mates in a great culture.
“I look at it that way, that this is gonna be a really good opportunity for him, and that I and the guys on the team, we care about him. We want him to have a great career.
“You need this. And, in turn, if you’re Ben Simmons, and if you play like Ben Simmons on this team, with that culture, you’re gonna take us to somewhere the team’s never been. That’s my goal in all of this.”
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Goorjian is correct too, with the present Boomers squad stacked with expertise and a mixture of youth and expertise, highlighted by the management of Patty Mills and emergence of Josh Giddey.
As a lot as Simmons could be a worth add to the nationwide group, no matter latest type and related damage battles, the Boomers aren’t careworn for choices with out him.
In truth, this yr’s World Cup may give Boomers followers a glimpse into the long run because the offence performs by the palms of breakout Oklahoma City Thunder star Giddey.
The broader level Goorjian additionally made in regards to the Boomers being one thing Simmons wants is one Andre Gaze introduced up earlier within the yr.
“You know what, he hasn’t played a lot of basketball in the last couple of years,” Gaze informed SEN in May.
“Where it is right now, he’s got some work to do to actually make the team.
“It’s not like it was prior to Tokyo where the evidence you saw in the NBA you’re going to be an automatic selection, because of his health issue and lack of basketball but most importantly because of the players.”
As for whether or not Simmons can be wholesome to get again on the court docket, the Nets appear assured the previous No. 1 general choose is in for an enormous season.
“The expectation is that he’ll be able to start the season day 1 of training camp and definitely the regular season without any limitations in any way,” Simmons’ agent Bernie Lee mentioned on Sirius XM NBA Radio in July.
“There’s been a protocol that was established for him this summer that has benchmarks and measurements just to make sure everything’s staying on track and I would tell you that he’s exceeded everything.”
