Report: Nets Becoming Frustrated With Ben Simmons
The morning after the Brooklyn Nets were embarrassed on national television - giving up a franchise-regulation 153 points in the loss to the Sacramento Kings - skepticism and frustration is mounting around the team due to Ben Simmons' lack of availability and his impact.
In a report by Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic: "The frustration surrounding Simmons had been building in recent weeks within the organization. The coaching staff and players have been concerned about his availability and level of play, with some questioning his passion for the game, those sources said."
Simmons spoke with The Athletic and acknowledged the criticism that he knows is coming his way. He shared his viewpoints on the matter.
“You’re obviously not gonna be happy when anybody’s out,” Simmons told The Athletic. “But for me, I’ve been dealing with the knee since the start of the season. It’s been swollen. I had PRP (injections). I had blood drained a couple times. So it’s not a made up thing, you know? It’s a real thing.
“I get (the skepticism), but I think the one thing with me is that I’m a competitor. I want to win and play. So I’m gonna do what I can to get out there.”
Simmons has struggled on the floor for the majority of Brooklyn's 12 games played. He finally had the best performance of his comeback season, registering a productive 11 points, five assists, three boards, and a steal in 20 minutes off the bench in Tuesday's embarrassing defeat to the Kings. His play included his trademark ability to push the break, attack the rim, be a defensive force, and get his teammates open shots along the perimeter.
Aside from his left knee soreness - an injury that cost Simmons a total of six games this season - his desire to play the game of basketball has been under the bright light with many questioning that desire. Those who are also beginning to question his desire are his teammates.
“There’s only so much I can really do (about perception),” Simmons said. “You can’t make people believe, you know? They weren’t there when I was on the floor and couldn’t walk (because of his back). They weren’t there when I was in the ambulance getting taken to the hospital (after a Feb. 22, 2020 game at Milwaukee). People weren’t there, so they don’t know. That was the first episode I had against Milwaukee. That was the original trigger of it…right before COVID, the start of my back issues.
“But that’s a part of my journey. There’s times when I couldn’t walk. I had a dead foot. Couldn’t sleep. A lot of stuff was going on with me, physically, to where it was tough. But there’s only so much I can say for somebody to believe, you know?”
The latest concern around Simmons has been the reoccurring left knee soreness. The Nets swingman explained that he's doing all the treatment needed to hop over that setback and put the injury to rest.
“I’m on full overload with treatment, everything I need to do to stay out there,” Simmons continued. “I’m just spending more time on the table, honestly, more downtime (where) I’m literally just leg up, icing, doing whatever I need to do – sleeping.
“Yeah (the knee is a bigger problem than the back), which is good. And that’s one thing with the league. You’ll be starting to have some (trouble) with one thing and then you’re thinking about your ankle or your leg or whatever it is. That’s gonna happen, but getting it under control is the most important part for me.”
Charania and Amick also provided insight on what occurred in the players-only meeting after Brooklyn's loss in the first game of the mini-series against the Indiana Pacers - the second to last coached game of Steve Nash's tenure. Markieff Morris spoke up in the meeting, challenging Simmons stating that the Nets need him in order to be successful.
"Sources with direct knowledge of the meeting, but who were granted anonymity so that they could speak freely say that in that meeting, Markieff Morris — a veteran leader on these Nets — spoke up in front of all of his teammates about how they need Simmons to succeed and that he has to respond when he deals with adversity on the court. Those sources all described a meeting where Simmons appeared to take Morris’ words in stride and was responsive and attentive throughout."
“We had a conversation that obviously I’m not going to talk about. It was honest,” Simmons told reporters after that meeting occurred.
Shortly after the report was released, Morris took to Twitter to deny the reporting.
The Nets conclude their four-game west coast road trip against the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night.
