“I’d Be Mad If Ben Simmons Made $35 Million For Cardio”: Shaquille O’Neal Shares Fan Theory On Cam Thomas’s Stoic Nature

Ben Simmons made his way to the Brooklyn Nets last season after having severed his ties with the Philadelphia 76ers organization. Their fallout came after an underwhelming performance in the 2021 ECSF. Leading to the Sixers trading him to the Nets at last year’s trade deadline for James Harden. 

Since arriving in Brooklyn, he’s played 37 games and averaged 7.4 points, 6.4 assist, and 6.5 rebounds a game while turning the ball over about two and a half times. It’s clear that he isn’t the same Simmons fans have been accustomed to seeing over the past years, especially on the offensive end of the floor. 

A young player who has proven himself to be a great scorer for the Nets is Cam Thomas. Similar to Jordan Clarkson, Cam provides instant offense off the bench. He recently went viral for saying, “Ain’t sh*t funny,” after he was asked why he never smiled.

Also read: “You Want Me? Take My Son”: Lucille O’Neal Firmly Stated Shaquille O’Neal’s Step-Father, Philip Harrison, Had To Accept Shaq As His Own

Shaquille O’Neal posts a theory on Cam Thomas and Ben Simmons 

Shaquille O’Neal has been quite critical of Ben Simmons over the past few years and rightfully so. However, given that it’s Shaq, it’s understandable as he’s critiqued every player who hasn’t lived up to the mark in his eyes. 

He would go on to post quite the theory on his Instagram story earlier today, claiming the reason why Cam Thomas is mad all the time is because he has to give up minutes to Ben Simmons, who is set to make $35 million in 2022-23. According to this fan theory, all Ben does is cardio.

 

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While Simmons is incredibly hesitant to shoot any shot that isn’t directly next to the rim, he does showcase his value on the defensive end of the floor. Having him on the team to guard/switch onto players like Giannis, Butler, and Harden in the Playoffs will be crucial for guys like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant to preserve their energy. 

Will the Nets be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline? 

The Brooklyn Nets are looking to win a championship this season and every season that they have the KD-Kyrie pairing. With this in mind, they most likely will be in between being a buyer and seller depending on what pieces they will be replacing. 

They could package the likes of Ben Simmons and Joe Harris along with picks to obtain a third star or they could move a few ancillary pieces to smoothen out the end of the rotation. Given that the ‘3rd star’ approach didn’t work out, the latter is probably more likely to take place.

Also read: Shaquille O’Neal, Who Dropped $35,000 In Atlanta, Was Adorably Rejected By A Boy Trying To Buy Him A Bike