Sean Marks did a season-ending wrap-up interview with the YES Network where he touched on many aspects of the Brooklyn Nets season. One focus was, of course, Ben Simmons.
Marks said that Simmons tried really hard to return to the court and that the team saw how much he wanted to play.
“Frustrating from an organizational standpoint, but even more so from Ben’s. I had a conversation with Ben. We all did. We saw how he wanted to get out there. To be honest, I’ve got to admire that. He tries to do 3-on-3, 5-on-5, and then you turn around and get an MRI, and you see the disc herniation has gotten worse. You think 'Well, this guy is pushing through something that he shouldn’t be pushing through'," Marks said. “Nobody wants to have surgery. It’s the last resort but it’s bygone now and we’ve got to move forward on this. We’ve got to support him."
As he did in his season-ending press conference, Marks reiterated that the Nets want Simmons immersed in the team this offseason, but not until he's healthy and ready, both physically and mentally.
“It’s about supporting him, making sure we have the right people around him and welcoming him into our family. We really haven’t had a chance yet to do that because it’s so busy in the season," said Marks. "These informal dinners and lunches and meetings and so forth. Him just having the chance to be around his teammates will certainly help team chemistry and camaraderie.”
