Kyrie Irving Reacts to Ben Simmons Fouling Out

The Brooklyn Nets fell to the New Orleans Pelicans on opening night

Joey Linn | Oct 19, 2022

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Brooklyn Nets

It was a rough Brooklyn Nets debut for Ben Simmons, who fouled out in just 23 minutes. A team-worst -26 in those minutes, Simmons did not perform well even when he was on the court, scoring just 4 points while turning the ball over 3 times. While he did tally 5 assists and 5 rebounds, the Nets will need much more from him going forward.

After the game, Nets guard Kyrie Irving was asked about Simmons fouling out, and said, "As we told him in the locker room, he's a valuable piece for us and we need him out there. And fouling out is not an option. Playing aggressive is something that we want him to do, but we also want to play smart."

Kyrie Irving on Ben Simmons fouling out: "As we told him in the locker room, he's a valuable piece for us and we need him out there. And fouling out is not an option. Playing aggressive is something that we want him to do, but we also want to play smart." #Nets #NBA
— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) October 20, 2022

Having traded James Harden for Simmons, the Nets truly feel as if he can be a key piece alongside Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. He is one of the most unique players in basketball, and his upside projects to benefit a Nets team that is lacking in many of the areas Simmons excels in. That said, it was a rough debut for Simmons, as he and the Nets have a lot of work to do.

It is a long season, and while the Nets would have loved to start the year with a win, they understand this is a process that will take time. For Kyrie Irving, he wants to see his teammate Ben Simmons on the floor as much as possible.

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Published Oct 19, 2022

JOEY LINN

Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn32@sbcglobal.net Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis, insight, and reporting Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Receiving a media credential during the 2021-22 season, Joey has experience interviewing NBA players, and developing exclusive stories from these interviews. Having appeared on several different NBA podcasts over the last four seasons, Joey is now hosting his own podcast for The Sporting Tribune. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Now graduated, Joey is covering the NBA full-time across multiple platforms. Credentialed by the Clippers, Joey covers the team daily with articles, podcasts, and video breakdowns on YouTube. With four years of sports media experience, Joey provides expert insight and analysis for NBA fans across the league.

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