The Brooklyn Nets have a lot to take care of when it comes to getting their season back on track; things have gone a little awry for them once again. Having won a few games and almost reached .500, the Nets have now fallen 3 games below after an embarrassing blowout loss to the Sacramento Kings. The Nets gave up 153 points in regulation to the Kings, and the result had Kevin Durant looking dejected on the sidelines.
Kyrie Irving not playing is a factor for the Nets, but it’s far from the only one. One of their bigger issues has been with Ben Simmons on his return to the Nets. Even though Simmons wasn’t expected to have improved from his Philly days in terms of shooting, his defense and general skills have left fans underwhelmed. The Australian looks like a shadow of himself and has already missed 5 games, making his availability a question mark as well. And this has reportedly been a cause of some frustration.
Shams Charania Claims That Frustration Surrounding Ben Simmons Is Growing Within The Brooklyn Nets
Simmons was never going to be back to his best immediately after missing a year, thanks to various reasons, but many were hoping to see signs of his ability by this point. He has a massive contract, and he was expected to provide defense for the team, but so far, he has been unable to live up to even the most basic expectations. Shams Charania reported about how that is making the Nets feel for The Athletic.
“According to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation, 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. But even when he did play, Simmons’ struggles in his first nine games this season were part of the Nets frustration as well.”
The Nets cannot afford for Simmons to be a non-factor this season; they have plenty of problems to deal with without him not being able to contribute properly. Questions about his commitment to basketball have been asked for a while now, and it seems that there is some merit to those at this point. He needs to get his act together quickly, or both the Nets and his career are in big trouble.
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