Oct 23, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (10) warms up on the court before the game against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Brooklyn Nets Coach Makes Honest Ben Simmons Statement

Originally posted on Fastbreak on SI | By Ben Stinar | Last updated Dec 22, 2024 5:33 PM ET

On Saturday night, the Brooklyn Nets lost to the Utah Jazz by a score of 105-94 at Barclays Center in New York.

Despite the loss, Ben Simmons had one of his best games of the season.

The three-time NBA All-Star finished with 15 points, six rebounds, ten assists and two steals while shooting 5/11 from the field in 29 minutes of playing time.

Ben Simmons hitting in-game fade-away jumpers??

Simmons had one of his best games today as a Net, dropping a season-high 15 points (!) in the Nets' loss to the Jazz.

15 PTS | 10 AST | 6 REB | 2 STL | 5-6 FT #NBA pic.twitter.com/J8bj0Z3FdQ
— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) December 22, 2024

After the game, head coach Jordi Fernandez spoke about Simmons when he met with the media (h/t YES Network).

While Simmons had a good game, Fernandez also alluded to the six turnovers.

Fernandez: "Turnovers... We need him to be better... I like his aggressiveness. I like how he pushed the ball: 15 points and 10 assists. I also wanted him to rebound better, but I like his performance; I like how fast he made us play. He's taking positive steps. Right now, it's back-to-back games where he's playing higher minutes. He's been aggressive. He's been trying to organize his teammates, use his voice and I'm happy to see that."

Jordi Fernández addresses the media on challenges vs. Jazz, turnover struggles, Cam Johnson's performance and more. pic.twitter.com/6hpjfPom3g
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) December 22, 2024

Simmons is in his third season playing for the Nets.

After only appearing in 15 games last season, the former LSU star is averaging 6.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6.7 assists per contest while shooting 57.7% from the field in 22 games.

Via Legion Hoops: "Ben Simmons in the past 3 games:

15 PTS - 10 AST - 6 REB
12 PTS - 7 AST - 5 REB
10 PTS - 8 AST - 4 REB"

Ben Simmons in the past 3 games:

15 PTS - 10 AST - 6 REB
12 PTS - 7 AST - 5 REB
10 PTS - 8 AST - 4 REB

Getting back to himself (via @realapp_) pic.twitter.com/9pkzo1G2Le
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) December 22, 2024

The Nets are 11-17 in 28 games, which has them as the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference.

This article first appeared on Fastbreak on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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