Ben Simmons had a long conversation with Doc Rivers after trade to Brooklyn

Ramona Shelburne: Ben (Simmons) was obviously really excited for this long situation to be over. It’s gonna take him some time to get back on the court. But he did end up having one long conversation with Doc Rivers afterwards. And I think his message the way it’s been described to me was, you know, “I’m happy this is over.” It was never personal with Ben and Doc, that he always said, you know, I respect the way you were so honest with me about everything
Source: YouTube

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
From last night;: The losing streak is over, the new guys are in, some of the reserves are back, and according to Bruce Brown, “everybody likes everybody.” On the new-look Nets, the new guys and the vision you saw cracks of when KD and Ben Simmons play: theathletic.com/3130296/2022/0… – 9:27 AM Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria
Key potential dates for Nets and Sixers:
2/24 — KD and/or Ben Simmons could return/debut for Nets vs. Celtics
2/25 – Harden could debut for Sixers vs. Wolves
3/10 – Nets visit Sixers in last regular-season meeting this year pic.twitter.com/QCGWkcfC3q – 7:47 AM Jon Johnson @jonjohnsonwip
Ben Simmons at 11:30
James Harden at 12
What a Tuesday! – 7:07 AM Ric Bucher @RicBucher
The Difference Between Ben Simmons and James Harden shows.acast.com/bucher-and-fri… via @acast – 2:20 AM Dave Early @DavidEarly
Ben Simmons media availability tomorrow am via #Nets – 11:51 PM Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
Luka Dončić
Ben Simmons
Josh Giddey
The only rookies in the last 20 years to record three or more triple doubles.
Giddey still has 25 games to go. – 10:22 PM Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
Giddey joins Luka Dončić and Ben Simmons to become one of three rookies in the last 20 years to record three or more triple-doubles – 10:04 PM Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
Josh Giddey became the 7th rookie in NBA history to record back-to-back triple-doubles and the first since Ben Simmons (March of 2018). – 10:03 PM Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
Former Sixers alert:
Seth Curry 23 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists
Andre Drummond 11 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists in their Nets debuts
Ben Simmons was with the team on the bench
Nets win 109-85 to snap their 11-game skid – 9:53 PM James Boyd @RomeovilleKid
Lol one of the craziest things about sports is that people can’t keep it at that. Ben Simmons demands a trade and claims that it’s in part due to mental health — I’m not in his head so I’d never judge — and instead of going “Oh, he hoops for a different team.” Folks are mad. 💀 – 8:56 PM Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
That figure in the white sweater is Ben Simmons high-fiving teammates as they head into the locker room. Kevin Durant is in front of him. pic.twitter.com/6NKNtB4VM6 – 8:36 PM Anthony Puccio @APOOCH
Ben Simmons is watching from Brooklyn’s bench tonight. pic.twitter.com/257qhcF0jY – 8:11 PM Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria
Ben Simmons on the Nets bench pic.twitter.com/eZLUpHQOUM – 8:09 PM Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Nets start hot hitting four of their first seven shots. Seth Curry has hit his first two shots in Brooklyn. Kevin Durant is on the sidelines cheering. My eyes are still looking for Ben Simmons. – 7:47 PM Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Ben Simmons has joined the Nets’ hype video along with Seth Curry and Andre Drummond. – 7:36 PM Dave Early @DavidEarly
“…I think he’s in a pretty good place mentally. If we work with him- in conjunction with his physical ramp up to make sure he’s comfortable on and off the floor I think he’ll be ready to play mentally when he’s physically ready.” 
-Steve Nash on Ben Simmons’ mental health pic.twitter.com/fQDoYFUXqB – 6:54 PM Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria
Now on @ForbesSports
Brooklyn Nets Coach Steve Nash Says It Will Be ‘Fun Putting Ben Simmons In Our Program And Finding His Best Level”
forbes.com/sites/adamzago… – 6:43 PM Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
James Harden did a lot of work today with Tyrese Maxey at practice. Doc Rivers said Harden was impressed with Maxey’s work. #Sixers sixerswire.usatoday.com/2022/02/14/jam… via @SixersWire – 6:28 PM Dave Early @DavidEarly
“That’s on the performance team, they’re gonna walk through an assessment and his return to play & ramp up & all that. It’s been a long period of non-NBA activity, so we’ll see how they put his program together & how long it takes.” 
-Steve Nash on Ben Simmons timetable to play – 6:21 PM Dave Early @DavidEarly
“We haven’t really seen him we just got in the gym this morning and he was more doing his assessments and stuff so haven’t seen him working out yet.”
– Steve Nash on Ben Simmons joining Nets. Adds it’ll be a joint effort with Ben and performance staff to prep for return. – 6:11 PM Dave Early @DavidEarly
“Ben is such a unique talent. His brilliance is that he does so many things well on the basketball floor.”
-Steve Nash discusses Ben Simmons well-rounded game and different ways the Nets can deploy him. pic.twitter.com/XpzI45b5pd – 6:05 PM Dave Early @DavidEarly
“…I think is in a pretty good place mentally. And if we work with him… in conjunction with his physical ramp up to make sure he’s comfortable on and off the floor I think he’ll be ready to play mentally when he’s physically ready.
-Steve Nash on Ben Simmons – 5:57 PM Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Steve Nash thinks Ben Simmons is in a “really good place” mentally. Thinks once Simmons reaches the physical expectations of the performance staff he’ll be ready to go. – 5:53 PM Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Steve Nash said it will be a joint decision whenever Ben Simmons plays between him, the performance team and staff. – 5:48 PM Dave Early @DavidEarly
Steve Nash says the decision for Ben Simmons to return is on the Nets performance team. Nash adds that it’s a “joint decision” between Simmons and the team before he’s available to go. – 5:48 PM Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria
Steve Nash says the Nets’ Performance team will decide a timetable on when Ben Simmons will debut. Said it will be “a joint decision” between Simmons and the Nets.
Again, there has been speculation he could debut 2/24 vs. Boston. – 5:48 PM James Ham @James_HamNBA
Jeremy Lamb is questionable with left ankle soreness tonight against the Nets. Terence Davis is out.
For Brooklyn, Ben Simmons, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Joe Harris are out. James Johnson is questionable. – 5:25 PM Tom Moore @TomMoorePhilly
Updated #NBA story: After James Harden’s first practice with the #Sixers, Doc Rivers says ‘fitting (him) into an offense is not that hard. It really isn’t. He’s just a terrific basketball player’ https://t.co/VCOr6rC7He #76ers pic.twitter.com/KE44t3Fn0d – 5:05 PM Tim Bontemps @TimBontemps
New ESPN story: “Listen, putting James Harden into an offense is not that hard. It really isn’t.”
While the Sixers won’t have James Harden until after the All-Star Break, Doc Rivers is confident it won’t take long to get the superstar guard up to speed. espn.com/nba/story/_/id… – 3:17 PM Stefan Bondy @SBondyNYDN
Anyone who listened to my Greenroom chats last year (got to get those going again) knows I’m a big fan of Ben Simmons game. Think it’s a good fit for Brooklyn, but also mix is combustible. Going to be an interesting remainder of the season. – 1:36 PM Ian Begley @IanBegley
From earlier: Sean Marks ‘thrilled’ to land Ben Simmons, says BKN is ‘here to support him from a physical standpoint, from a mental standpoint’, welcoming him with ‘arms wide open.’; a factor between PHI & BKN that may lessen the likelihood of tampering: sny.tv/articles/nba-s… – 1:30 PM Noah Levick @NoahLevick
James Harden did everything at practice, Doc Rivers said. Worth noting Sixers didn’t scrimmage, but Rivers said Harden was unlimited.
Rivers mentioned Harden was “blown away” today by a couple of Tyrese Maxey dunks. – 12:53 PM Tom Moore @TomMoorePhilly
#Sixers Doc Rivers: James Harden ‘today was blown away by Tyrese, who had two dunks.’ – 12:50 PM Tom Moore @TomMoorePhilly
#Sixers Doc Rivers on changing offensive roles with James Harden: ‘You still have to talk to guys. Everyone’s going to have to give up shots, including James, to win.’ – 12:48 PM Tom Moore @TomMoorePhilly
#Sixers Doc Rivers: Plan is to have scrimmage after all-star break (when can better see where James Harden is).’ – 12:46 PM Tom Moore @TomMoorePhilly
#Sixers Doc Rivers: ‘Fitting James Harden into an offense isn’t that hard. He’s been great at it.’ – 12:45 PM Tom Moore @TomMoorePhilly
#Sixers Doc Rivers; ‘We want to make sure (James Harden) is ready (before playing after break). … I’m not a doctor, even though my name is Doc.’ – 12:44 PM Tom Moore @TomMoorePhilly
#Sixers Doc Rivers: James Harden ‘did everything (at first practice) – all the skeleton work. We didn’t do anything live. He’s a high-IQ guy.’ – 12:43 PM Marc Stein @TheSteinLine
No All-Star Game for James Harden and his Sixers debut remains TBD. Formal Harden introductory press conference with the Sixers’ brain trust has been scheduled for Tuesday.
Full Harden-for-Ben Simmons trade breakdown: marcstein.substack.com/p/the-flop-of-… – 12:34 PM Marc Stein @TheSteinLine
Two pieces from the weekend on Trade Deadline developments …
 
Kristaps goes to Washington and more around-the-league notes via This Week In Basketball: marcstein.substack.com/p/trade-deadli…
 
James Harden for Ben Simmons … broken down in five what-next sections: marcstein.substack.com/p/the-flop-of-… – 12:01 PM Jason Anderson @JandersonSacBee
Nets stars Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons ruled out for Monday’s game vs. Kings sacbee.com/sports/nba/sac… – 11:11 AM Sirius XM NBA @SiriusXMNBA
“Can I get those five guys playing on March 10th?!”
@Frank Isola & @Brian Scalabrine are hoping to see Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and James Harden in uniform and on the court when the Nets go to Philadelphia. pic.twitter.com/BMWe7oKbUz – 10:51 AM Justin Grasso @JGrasso_
For the first time this season, Ben Simmons isn’t listed as out due to “Personal Reasons.” The #Nets have him listed as “Return to Competition Reconditioning.” Seems Simmons’ season debut is coming soon. – 10:02 AM Gina Mizell @ginamizell
Y’all saw the botched dunk. But Paul Reed’s play surrounding the snafu is what’s more important to Doc Rivers. Reed is keeping things simpler, and holding it down as the Sixers’ backup center after the departure of Andre Drummond in the Haden trade inquirer.com/sixers/sixers-… – 9:48 AM Justin Grasso @JGrasso_
James Harden and Paul Millsap will be introduced as #Sixers officially tomorrow with a press conference at 12 PM. Josh Harris, Daryl Morey, and Doc Rivers will be a part of the presser. – 9:38 AM Noah Levick @NoahLevick
The Sixers will hold a press conference tomorrow at noon in Camden with James Harden, Paul Millsap, Daryl Morey, Doc Rivers and Josh Harris.
Before that, they’ve got practice today. – 9:36 AM Kyle Neubeck @KyleNeubeck
Mark your calendars: noon presser tomorrow for James Harden, Morey, Millsap, Doc Rivers, and Josh Harris – 9:32 AM Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Three Things to Know: Is Ben Simmons ready to accept role with Nets? nba.nbcsports.com/2022/02/14/thr… – 9:02 AM

More on this storyline

Brian Lewis: Steve Nash on Simmons: “Whether he improves his shot or not, I’m excited about all the things he can do already.” #Nets -via Twitter @NYPost_Lewis / February 12, 2022 Alex Schiffer: Steve Nash doesn’t rule out Ben Simmons working with Kyle Korver at some point, but isn’t worried about his shooting, or lack thereof. Said Simmons helps the Nets in so many areas they struggle in and has been an All Star despite the shot problems. -via Twitter @Alex__Schiffer / February 12, 2022 Beyond the rampant skepticism about the severity of his latest hamstring injury, on top of the ever-present questions about his substandard conditioning and how much it contributed to his unending hamstring troubles as a Net, Harden has been a brooding presence for months.  League sources say there were times before Durant’s injury that the two stars, for reasons unclear, were hardly communicating — followed by the chaos of the past few Durant-less weeks when Harden stopped connecting with anyone to passive-aggressively convey he no longer wanted to be there. -via marcstein.substack.com / February 12, 2022