Redemption might just be in the books for Ben Simmons after all. Since his horror crumble against the Atlanta Hawks in 2021, the Aussie hasn’t been the same. Once being touted next to LeBron James, he went from being a two-way threat to being plagued with injuries. His arrival in Brooklyn two seasons ago was when his comeback story was set. But since then, he has only appeared in 57 games. That might change once and for all.

The New York Post reported on several trending topics around the Nets franchise. One of them was obviously being the return of Simmons. Having had two back surgeries in three years, he was only limited to 15 games last season. Health has been a consistent conundrum for the former Sixer. Hopefully, his rocky luck with ailments could finally see an end, and it comes at a time when the Nets boast him as the only All-Star on the roster.

According to The Post, head coach Jordi Fernandez went to visit Simmons in Florida to check up on his recovery. The Nets point guard has officially been cleared for 5 on 5 workouts. The expectation is for him to be fully fit and prepared to play when the preseason rolls out next month.

With a young roster to work with, Simmons’ availability could be essential for Fernandez. The vision is to keep the Nets afloat amidst their rebuilding phase. In 15 games last season, the 6’10” forward showed flashes of his vintage self. His versatility to shift between being a playmaker to a rim threat can be successfully utilized by the Nets.

Furthermore, Ben Simmons himself might be pumping with a desire to rearrange his tarnished image after Shaquille O’Neal’s cruel diss.

Shaq’s ‘bum’ claim might rejuvenate vintage Ben Simmons

During an interview with Complex, Shaquille O’Neal went on a brutal barrage against two NBA stars. One of them happened to be Ben Simmons. He called the Nets guard a “bum” when posed with a question about the worst NBA player of all time. It isn’t the first time the Big Diesel has aimed the barrel at his LSU ‘brother’.

In the past, the Hall of Famer has taken major swings at Simmons, especially regarding his lucrative contract. But for all we know, it might be his way of trying to wake Simmons up to be a ruthless force once again. Shaq has managed to do so in the past, notably when he told Donovan Mitchell he “doesn’t have what it takes”.

The result was Spida going on a tear not just with the Jazz, but even with the Cleveland Cavaliers over the past few seasons. It was then that the Big Aristotle revealed his purposeful intentions behind calling out the crafty scorer. In the case of Simmons, he could be using the same strategy but with more ferocity due to their LSU roots.

When Ben Simmons did return briefly last season, he had spurts of his vintage command over the game. In his first game back, he nearly achieved a triple-double, raising hopes within the Nets fans. Due to his large frame, his defensive activity has always been high, and his multilingual offense is another striking quality he boasts. While Shaq’s criticism hasn’t taken any immediate effect yet, not being restricted by back woes could unlock the true potential of Simmons.

However, nothing can be said for certain yet.