The Brooklyn Nets opened training camp on Tuesday and, with Ben Simmons healthy, there is an ongoing position battle at point guard. Unlike last season, when Jacque Vaughn named Simmons the starter before camp, coach Jordi Fernandez said the position is up for grabs. This means that Simmons will have to beat the veteran world champion Dennis Schroder.
“May the best man win, honestly,” Cam Thomas said. “Whatever unit they’re in, I know they’re going to try to lead us to the most wins… But I have faith in both guys, whoever gets the role. When you fight for something, you’re going to have that competitive fire and that competitive spirit . I know they will both give their best, so we’ll see how it turns out.”
Simmons has been unable to stay on the floor while battling back injuries since joining the Nets. Brooklyn shut down the former No. 1 pick midway through the last two seasons. He underwent surgery in May, his second in two years. Simmons made an impact when he took the court for the Nets, although not at the level of his days with the Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 6.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game. Entering the final year of his contract at $40 million, he’s still confident he can move the needle in an NBA rotation.
While he never came close to All-Star status, Schroder remains a more reliable option. The 30-year-old started 25 of his 29 games for Brooklyn after joining the team at last year’s trade deadline, averaging 14.6 points and 6.0 assists on 42/41/80 shots. Schroder is entering the final year of his contract at $13 million. Even though he’ll be fighting Simmons for just a few minutes, he’s excited to see the three-time All-Star attempt to silence his critics. “He’s my teammate,” Schroder said. “When he went through some tough times in Philadelphia, I reached out to him. I didn’t even know him, but I reached out to him and told him to stay positive… Now we play together and I want to make the most of it.”
