Simmons plans a minutes increase after his nine-minute Kings debut

Ben Simmons expects his playing time to increase when Sacramento faces Portland on Tuesday after making a nine-minute preseason debut against Golden State. The plan gives the Kings another chance to test how their veteran playmaker fits alongside rookie guard Darius Acuff before the regular season.

In an original interview published Monday, Andscape's Marc J. Spears reported that Simmons expects to play about 18 minutes against the Trail Blazers and 27 against San Antonio on Friday. Those are Simmons' expectations for the preseason ramp, not guaranteed game minutes or a final availability announcement.

Simmons started Saturday's game against the Warriors, scoring seven points on 2-for-4 shooting and adding one assist in nine minutes. ESPN's final box score confirms those numbers in Sacramento's 111-106 loss. It was exhibition action, so it did not add to his regular-season career totals.

Spears spoke with Simmons about returning after a season away from NBA competition. Simmons said he felt good physically after his first appearance and wanted to keep building his workload. Kings coach Doug Christie described the preseason as a chance to experiment with rotations and lineups while Simmons gets back on the floor.

The backcourt arrangement matters to Acuff, who told Spears that Simmons' passing allows him to play off the ball. Simmons is expected to remain in the starting lineup alongside the rookie for the October 21 opener against the Clippers, according to Spears. That is a reported expectation while Christie continues evaluating preseason combinations.

Simmons' return also accompanies the upcoming ESPN E:60 and Andscape documentary "Being Ben," scheduled to premiere October 18 at 4 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. Spears reported that the film examines both Simmons' basketball career and his time away from the sport.

For Sacramento, Tuesday offers a closer look at the on-court questions: how Simmons handles a longer shift, how the guards share creation duties and how Christie uses him within the rotation. Saturday established a brief first step. The planned increase is the next part of the preseason evaluation.

Sources

ESPN: Kings–Warriors final box score, October 10 · Marc J. Spears, Andscape: Simmons on his return with Sacramento