On paper, Ben Simmons was just what the Brooklyn Nets needed. He could give them size, athleticism, playmaking, rebounding, and elite defense. But paper doesn't win NBA games, and Simmons has been a shell of himself lately.
Perhaps, the biggest issue is that there's no sign of the Simmons of old out there. The Nets don't even need him to be something he's not, meaning they don't need him to be a shooter. But even in a limited role, he's flopped.
Simmons' Nets tenure got off to a subpar start. He barely made an impact and constantly got into foul trouble. Then, all of a sudden, the back injury surfaced again. Yeah, the same injury he admitted was a product of mental blocks and not being emotionally ready to play.
Ben Simmons Is Relieved When He's Out Of The Game
Some scouts even claim that Simmons' look relieved when he gets into foul trouble. Per ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the word around the league is that he just doesn't want to be on the court anymore:
"I've talked to scouts who have watched repeatedly as Ben Simmons gets into foul trouble and gets pulled out of the game and they believe he almost looks like he's relieved to be coming out of the game at times," Windhorst said.
Nets Could Pull The Plug On The Ben Simmons Experiment
So, it's not like the Nets can afford to wait and see until the love for the game comes back, if ever. With that in mind, Ian Begley of SNY reported that they could look to flip him for a veteran shooter while they still can:
"Even prior to that loss on Saturday, the Nets have been talking to teams about cursory trades ideas," Begley said. "The Nets were looking for shooting Ben Simmons' name actually came up in at least one conversation they were having with a Western Conference team. It seems like several things are on the table for the roster. Sean Mark certainly didn't sound like a GM who's sold on this roster so stand by there and see where the Nets go from there."
There's no doubt that Simmons is a unique talent with MVP and DPOY potential. But he doesn't seem ready or happy to be on the court at all. So, maybe it's time we stop waiting for him to be something he'll never be.
