Ben Simmons came to the Brooklyn Nets with the hopes of fans resting on his shoulders that his game would elevate the team, but by most accounts, the acquisition has yet to pan out. Now that co-stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant are no longer Nets, fans on Twitter are piling on the slander for Simmons despite him showing flashes of his former greatness this season.
Ben Simmons, who turns 27 this summer, was the top overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft and showcased brilliance as a big point guard for the Philadelphia 76ers before that union soured. Although Simmons has been a member of the Nets since February 2022, he didn’t start playing until the current 2022-23 season and the results have been the target of critique from pundits and fans alike.
The Nets went on a nice run of wins with Simmons shifting his game away from offense and focusing on his highly regarded defensive skills. However, Simmons was expected to be more than a ball-stopper despite his ability to guard every position on the floor. With the scoring firepower of KD and Kyrie gone, Simmons will now have to turn to Spencer Dinwiddie, who is reunited with his former team after being traded away from the Dallas Mavericks, and the talented Mikal Bridges, who was traded away from the Phoenix Suns.
On paper, the Nets got younger, hauled in a ton of first-round draft picks for the future or to trade for veterans, and have a player’s coach in former NBA player Jacque Vaughn leading the way. The Nets are currently in fifth place in the Eastern Conference and are still competitive. Time will tell how the trades will impact all the teams involved.
On Twitter, Ben Simmons is trending and we’ve got reactions listed below.
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Photo: Mike Stobe / Getty
