Few NBA players have had bigger falls from grace in recent years than Brooklyn Nets floor general Ben Simmons.
He was a legitimate star earlier on in his pro career with the Philadelphia 76ers thanks in large part to his playmaking and defensive chops, but ever since he missed the entirety of the 2021-22 campaign due to a back injury and holdout, he’s looked like a shell of his former self.
One person was seemingly caught on video calling Simmons “trash” a short time ago, and the 28-year-old responded by directing some vulgar language toward the hater.
Fan: “You're trash.”
Ben Simmons: “Why didn’t you say it when I was there, pus*y.”
Dennis Schroder proceeds to have Ben Simmons back. ✊
(h/t @BrooklynNetcast)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 26, 2024
Nets guard Dennis Schroder then could be seen sticking up for his teammate, as he confronted the fan.
Simmons used to be a pretty legitimate triple-double threat during his time with the 76ers, but his production hasn’t been the same since he joined the Nets. This season, through two games, he is averaging 6.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per contest.
It’s early, but Simmons has had major difficulties taking care of the ball this season with Brooklyn, as he’s averaging a whopping 5.0 turnovers per game. The former Louisiana State University standout has accumulated nearly as many turnovers as assists to this point, as he has 11 assists to his name this season compared to 10 turnovers.
His scoring this season hasn’t done much to offset his turnovers. He has never been elite at putting the ball in the basket in the NBA, but he averaged 14-plus points per game in each of his first four seasons in the league. Since joining the Nets, he hasn’t averaged more than 6.9 points per game in a single season, and as mentioned, he’s averaging just 6.5 in the new campaign.
It would be great to see Simmons re-emerge as one of the better point guards in the league with the Nets, but it’s up for debate whether that’s a realistic goal for him at this point in time. The good news is that the current season is still young, and he remains a player with lots of potential.
