The return of Ben Simmons to the NBA for the first time in more than a year has been a major topic of conversation since the Sacramento Kings signed him. With his first game on the horizon, that's not likely to change any time soon. You can bet there will be a lot of big opinions on his comeback.
Simmons' journey through the league has been rough at absolute best. He missed what should have been his rookie season due to an injury. When Big Ben finally had that rookie season, he was ultimately named Rookie of the Year. This dichotomy turned out to be a prediction of his career.
Throughout his time in the NBA, Simmons vacillated between exceptional play and long stretches missed due to various nagging injuries. On three different occasions, he has sat out entire seasons. As crazy as this is to say, that wasn't even the worst part of it all. His woes got far more serious.
Over time, all the injuries began to take a mental toll on him. Simmons' physical exhaustion led to both mental and emotional exhaustion. Even when he was healthy enough to be on the court, he certainly wasn't playing like a former ROTY, All-Star, and All-NBA team member. He has a lot to prove.
Don't call it a comeback...
Many commentators, including myself, have questioned the logic behind taking a chance on Simmons. He has made a lot of money over the years sitting on the bench. At the same time, it's a fairly low-risk situation for the Kings. They have only committed to one year with him at this point.
Simmons was brought in purely to be a backup for Acuff. If he can stay healthy enough to give Acuff 10 to 12 non-consecutive minutes off the court each game, then Simmons' return will be a raging success. If he actually manages to play half-decent basketball when doing it, even better.
The Kings can manage Simmons' minutes and physical health. Keeping his head in the game is an entirely different situation. He took a season off from the league in part to get his mind right, which was a smart move on his part. Now, he just has to get past his preseason debut.
By even stepping back on an NBA court, Simmons will have cleared one of the most difficult hurdles of his career. After that, it's just stepping on the court again and again. Doing that will prove he still belongs in the NBA, and will help him put some of his past struggles behind him.
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