Jordi Fernández’s first major decision as Brooklyn Nets head coach came on Friday night, as he started Nic Claxton against the Boston Celtics and moved three-time all-star Ben Simmons out of the team’s first five. Until now, it had been Simmons ...

Ben Simmons will come off the bench for the first time during the 2024-25 season on Friday. Simmons was replaced by center Nic Claxton in the Brooklyn

While Simmons passed one benchmark being healthy by his seventh game, familiar questions remain. Friday was the 13th time in his 64 Nets games over three seasons that he’s been a reserve.