Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie has an interesting view of teammate Ben Simmons, to say the least.

Speaking on the Pat Bev Pod, Dinwiddie described Simmons as a "more athletic" version of Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green when he's playing at his best.

Dinwiddie said, per Erik Slater of Clutch Points:

"Ben at his best form is a far more athletic Draymond Green with less three-point shooting… When you talk about the defensive IQ, reading passing lanes, quarterbacking a defense, able to guard one through five. He's one of the only people in the league who can do that, and then obviously he's getting out on that break. He's never been fortunate enough to play with Steph and Klay obviously, so I think if he was in that type of environment you would see those same kind of triple-doubles, accolades, things like that."

Simmons has struggled with a back injury over the last two seasons. He missed the entire 2021-22 campaign due to the ailment, which eventually required surgery, and appeared in just 42 games during the 2022-23 campaign before hitting the shelf again with a nerve impingement.

The 27-year-old hasn't been close to the same player he was when drafted because of the injury. Last season, he averaged just 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists while shooting 56.6 percent from the floor.

It's a major difference from his All-Star 2018-19 season in which he averaged 16.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists in 79 games with the Philadelphia 76ers while shooting 56.3 percent from the floor.

Luckily for the Nets, Simmons is expected to be a full participant in training camp without any restrictions ahead of the 2023-24 season, head coach Jacque Vaughn told reporters this week.

In an interview with Andscape's Marc J. Spears last month, Simmons also said he feels "at 100% now" and is ready to go after a lengthy rehab.

It's hard to compare Simmons with Green, who is a four-time NBA champion that has earned eight All-Defensive selections over his 11 seasons. While neither player is good at shooting threes, Green is much more aggressive and plays with a level of confidence that Simmons hasn't exhibited in a long time.

Simmons' resumé includes three All-Star selections, the 2017-18 Rookie of the Year award and two All-Defensive selections. If he can return to the player he was during his early career in Philadelphia, the Nets should be a playoff team this year.