It is one of the NBA stories currently making waves. After several years of misfortune marked by injuries and underperformance, Ben Simmons seems ready to make a statement and show that he is still at the forefront of the competition in the United States. That is exactly what the Sacramento Kings expect, where he will start as a starter and where his coach, Doug Christie, is treating him with meticulous care.
That is precisely what the coach explains after the defeat to the Portland Trail Blazers in a pre-season game. The guard did not play a single minute, and it did not take long before questions arose about whether something was wrong and what the reason was. Well, the answer is simply that he is being looked after.
“There is a broader context here, and that leads to the objective with him being available for all 82 games of the regular season, which is when it really counts… So, as much as he wants to play in front of our fans, and we want him to play, we have to be smart,” he states.
The reality is that the hype around Simmons has surged. While it has been about half a decade since we last saw him play at the level that earned him All-Star status for three consecutive years, it is no less true that he seems to have found in Sacramento the ideal place to enjoy basketball again and to prove that he hasn’t forgotten how to play this game.
Ben Simmons is good, but… what about Sabonis?
It is one of the Kings’ big question marks. After playing only 19 games last season, Domantas Sabonis has yet to make his preseason debut, and many wonder what is happening with him as well as Malik Monk, who also remains in the shadows. Well, Christie explains it this way.
“It’s preseason, so what we really want to do is get everyone in shape and prepare them for the regular season… As soon as they’re ready, we’ll see them on the court,” he explains before avoiding to say whether they are injured or not and leaving it at: “That means they’re not playing.”
