Ben Simmons is prepared for an emotionally charged — and hostile — Philly return: ‘I know what’s coming’

NEW YORK — Ben Simmons smiled Sunday night at Barclays Center when asked what emotions he expects to feel when he returns to Philly.

“I’m ready to play,” he said.

The Brooklyn Nets forward then added: “Is something going on?”

The media room erupted in laughter as Simmons provided a bit of levity before his first appearance in a regular-season game against the 76ers at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Center.

In case you haven’t heard, Simmons is arguably Philadelphia’s most despised athlete after refusing to play for the Sixers last season and forcing a blockbuster, multi-player trade with Brooklyn.

» READ MORE: Tobias Harris’ days as a Sixer might be numbered, but he’s needed now

Fans booed him when the Sixers hosted the Nets on March 10. However, Simmons was in street clothes that day and for the remainder of the season, sitting out with back and mental health concerns. But Sixers fans are expected to have more animated responses when Simmons takes the court for the first time and whenever he touches the ball.

Simmons is aware of this, and made that clear when he discussed whether enough time has passed for bad feelings surrounding his departure from Philly to calm down.

“In Philly?” Simmons said with a dubious look, leading to more laughs. “I know what’s coming. That’s part of the game. Philly fans, one thing about Philly fans is they are incredible. They are die-hard Philly, and they are everything Philly, whatever it is. I respect that about the city. It’s a sports town.”

Simmons talked to Nets teammate Yuta Watanabe on Sunday before Brooklyn’s 127-115 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies about what it’s like to play in Philadelphia. “It’s an incredible opportunity to put on whatever jersey it is,” Simmons told him. “That’s Philly, and it’s a unique experience.”

Nets post player Markieff Morris knows a lot about Philadelphia. The 12th-year veteran is from North Philly, and he and his twin brother, Marcus, led Prep Charter to the PIAA Class AA state title in 2007.

He expects Simmons to be booed.

“But it is what it is at this point,” Morris said. “It’s been so long. He still calls Philly home. … I know he’s not scared, but he knows what to expect. It ain’t like he hasn’t been back since then. He just hasn’t played.”

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Simmons’ brother, Sean Tribe, still lives in the area, and a lot of his best friends are from Philly. On Sunday, Simmons mentioned a couple of times that he has “a lot of love for that city.”

“But I know he’s going there with a chip on his shoulder, for sure,” Morris said. “And if we see the Ben that we’ve seen tonight, Philly is in trouble, everybody is in trouble. [Bleep], not just Philly. [Teams] are in trouble if we get this Ben throughout the rest of the year.”

As Morris referenced, Simmons was unstoppable against the Grizzlies. Previously playing passively, Simmons had struggled to start the season and was demoted from the starting lineup. He also dealt with knee and back problems.

But he finished with a season-high 22 points on 11-for-13 shooting along with eight rebounds and five assists in what was his third straight good performance.

Last week, Simmons was the Nets’ lone bright spot in a 153-121 Tuesday loss at the Sacramento Kings. He came off the bench intent on attacking the basket, scoring in double figures for the first time this season. Simmons finished with 11 points, five rebounds, and three assists.

On Thursday, he had a 15-point, 13-rebound, 7-assist effort in a 109-107 road victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. However, the highlight came when the Blazers employed a hack-a-Ben strategy, sending the historically poor foul shooter to the foul line. Simmons responded by hitting three of four attempts.

But Sunday’s performance was undoubtedly his best of the season. Simmons, who was a reserve in the previous five games, got the start because center Nic Claxton missed the game for personal reasons. Simmons actually stole the spotlight from teammate Kyrie Irving, who played his first game since Nov. 1 after Brooklyn suspended him without pay for sharing the link to a movie connected to antisemitism on his Instagram and Twitter accounts.

“I think immediately you saw a force that he played with,” Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said of Simmons, “whether it was his pace or his attack of the rim. And it was a relentless attack toward [the basket] and really just spreading the basketball and the pace that he created for us tonight, it will make it harder for people to guard us.”

» READ MORE: Kyrie Irving faces the Sixers on Tuesday. His antisemitic filth should be answered with grace.

Simmons, who plays a hybrid point-center position in Brooklyn, is gaining more confidence and becoming more comfortable. Asked what has worked well for him the last three games, he said it just takes time to get back into a groove.

“I’m trying to build my consistency, stay focused on what I can do,” Simmons said. “I know what I can do. I know what I’m capable of. I’m not surprised.”

Nor are his teammates.

“I expect this from Ben,” Kevin Durant said. “So when he plays well, I’m not going to get excited about it.”

Meanwhile, Morris was adamant that Simmons will continue to play aggressively and on an elite level.

“He ain’t going back,” Morris said. “We ain’t letting him go back. He shouldn’t have shown us. You can’t let him go back. We’ve got to hold him accountable now. … There’s no way. I got him. I ain’t letting him.”

That takes us back to what is expected to be a hostile environment on Tuesday. Asked how he expects Simmons to handle the emotionally charged environment, Vaughn responded, “What emotion?” to even more laughter in the room.

The coach thinks the environment will be great for Simmons.

“It’s just like Portland, where he had to step up and make free throws when they tried to foul him,” Vaughn said. “He made three out of four. It’s the same sort of mental and physical hurdle that he’s going to have to get through, which is great.

“He’ll have his teammates behind him. He’ll have a coach that believes in him and overall, we’re looking forward to go and play in Philly.”

It took almost two years but Ben Simmons will soon play at the Wells Fargo Center. This time, however, Simmons will be positioned alongside the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 22 when they face the Sixers. The Inquirer’s Gina Mizell and Keith Pompey will broadcast live from the marquee game, discussing Simmons’ return and the Sixers’ injury issues.