The Brooklyn Nets just had a very disappointing start to their 2022-23 season that carries a lot of expectations. If the Nets can prove to everyone that they are capable of contending for the NBA Championship, their team is very likely to break up, especially with Kyrie Irving’s looming free agency.
One of the main reasons for the Nets’ poor performance was Ben Simmons, who was making his debut for the black-and-white team. It was as poor a debut performance as one could have, as Simmons fouled out with just 4 points on the night. His teammate, Kyrie Irving, spoke to the media and addressed Ben’s debut when asked about it.
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
Kyrie’s comments are relatively gentle and don’t mean to attack Simmons, which is the right way to deal with him considering the issues he has had with criticism before. It’s just Game 1 of the new season and Ben’s first NBA game in almost a year and a half. However, the Nets won’t have a hope of contending if Simmons doesn’t drastically improve his performance.
Can The Brooklyn Nets Win The 2023 NBA Championship?
The Brooklyn Nets just want to make the NBA Finals and possibly win the Larry O’Brien trophy this season. That may seem impossible considering the drama they went through in the offseason and how they looked in the season opener, but it is something that the team will be incredibly motivated to do so.
Simmons is going to be the prime defensive weapon that Brooklyn has, so he needs to be the one who’s ready to take on the toughest challenges available on the court. Tonight, he tried and failed to stop Zion Williamson and ended up fouling out. Coach Nash has already attributed this to rust from not playing for so long.
Nash, Irving, and everyone on the Nets’ team are hoping that Ben can overcome this issue of rust so that the team can enjoy success this season and prove all their doubters wrong.
