Ben Simmons’ brutal start in Brooklyn exposes ugly truth

Ben Simmons’ long-awaited return hasn’t gone according to plan with his nightmare struggles leaving his team in an ugly spot.

Things haven’t started well. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Ben Simmons return to the hardwood has got off to a shaky start.

The 26-year-old returned to action for the first time in 16 months, after a spectacular departure from the Philadelphia 76ers.

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Simmons showed signs of his All-Star best during the pre-season, but once the proper season got underway things have gone south for the Aussie.

While it’s only three games into the 2022/23 season, the early signs are painting a bleak image for the Brooklyn Nets and their high-profile guard.

Throughout his career the ball-dominant star has been plagued offensively with his jump shooting abilities.

Fans have loved nothing more than mocking his failure to even slightly improve his shooting since entering the league in 2016.

Despite his offensive struggles, Simmons has become a three-time All-Star thanks to his otherworldly defensive abilities and playmaking.

But Simmons is struggling to gel alongside fellow star teammates Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, putting the Nets in an awkward position.

Simmons has failed to have any impact on either end of the floor through three games, contributing only 17 points and picking up 14 fouls. Fouling out in two games.

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor revealed the true extent of Simmons’ brutal impact on the Nets so far in 2022/23, revealing they’re better off with Simmons sitting on the bench.

The big three hasn’t worked out so far.

“Granted we’re working with super small samples here. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving with Ben Simmons on the floor, they’ve played 103 possessions, and they’ve been outscored by 23 points per 100 possessions,” O’Connor told The Mismatch podcast.

“In the 51 possessions Durant and Irving have been on the floor without Simmons, they’re outscoring teams by 10 points per 100 possessions, a difference of 33.

“We’re working with tiny samples, but you’ve got a defence that can’t defend no matter who is on the floor and then you have an offence that is sputtering when it is running through Simmons rather than Kyrie Irving or Durant or even Patty Mills for that matter.

“It’s a real issue with Simmons not being what he once was.

“Ben Simmons was a 16 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, All-Defence, one of the best defensive players on the planet and now he is six points, six assists, seven rebounds and looks like nothing he was before on the defensive end of the floor.

“He’s even more timid on offence, not even sniffing the paint, he disrupts their offence in the halfcourt when they run line-ups with a centre out there. It disrupts Irving and Durant’s ability to penetrate the paint.

“They look like a better team when Simmons isn’t on the court.

“Given what they gave up in James Harden to get him and all the time it’s taken him to get back, you’ve got to give Simmons time to get back into rhythm, but if he does not get back to the player he was with the 76ers … the Nets could be a play-in team.”

Simmons’ struggles are hurting the Nets. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

The Nets currently sit 10th in the Eastern Conference standings, having won only one of their three opening games.

They’ll return to action today against a fellow Eastern Conference powerhouse in the Milwaukee Bucks who sit atop the standings, undefeated at 2-0.

Simmons played his best game in a Nets jersey against the Bucks during the pre-season when he displayed his defensive prowess against two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

In that game he contributed seven points, eight rebounds and 10 assists. Numbers still far below what he was producing with the Sixers, but closer to what the Nets require if they’re going to compete at the top end of the Eastern Conference.

Originally published as Ben Simmons’ brutal start in Brooklyn exposes ugly truth