Ben Simmons is nearing a return to the NBA court to join Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and with that, comes the typical NBA trolls ready to pounce on him.
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Simmons has been training hard ever since the joining the Nets, itching to make his debut. The Simmons drama finally came to a close before the All Star break this season.
After last year’s playoffs, tensions ran high in the 76ers organization. Joel Embiid visibly looked frustrated with Simmons’ offensive struggles and head coach Doc Rivers refused to commit to him as someone who could be a co-star for a championship team.
Now, Simmons has a fresh start, and his presence might be more necessary than ever. The Nets find themselves down 2-0 to the Boston Celtics, and if they don’t turn things around soon, they could be looking at a first round exit which would cap off a very disappointing season.
As of right now, Simmons is slated to return to action in game four, and he’s looking to make an immediate impact.
Breaking: Barring a setback, Ben Simmons plans to play in Game 4 on Monday vs. the Celtics, sources tell @wojespn. pic.twitter.com/kth25Um0y0
— ESPN (@espn) April 22, 2022
Ben Simmons gets trolled after high IQ statement about playing with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving
The Nets struggles against the Celtics stem from the difference in team defense. The Celtics had the best defensive rating in the league this year, and they’re showing just how good they were against the Brooklyn Nets.
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were held to 1-17 shooting in the second half of game 2, and Durant hasn’t shot above 50% this series.
Their defense hasn’t been able to contain Tatum and Brown much either, and that’s where Ben Simmons comes into play. While he struggles to shoot the ball, Simmons’ defense is genuinely at an All Defensive level.
His playmaking is also something the Nets could use right now as their offense often gets suffocated by the Celtics swarming defense.
Ben Simmons on finally getting to play with the Nets:
“My IQ is so high, to play with guys like Kai, Seth, Kev…I know how they want to play” pic.twitter.com/ddkMvXPaBf
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) April 22, 2022
However, as soon as Simmons said that, the haters were ready to pounce on him, bringing up his miscues from last year’s playoffs.
“My IQ is so high” as he passes the ball to a double covered matisse, missing a wide open slam dunk
— Zack Beavers (@beavers_pics) April 22, 2022
— Marc Meltzer (@MMeltzer95) April 22, 2022
It’s up to Simmons now to show that he’s so much more than what his doubters have defined him as. It’s unfortunate that he won’t be able to prove that point in a crucial game three, but it’s always better late than never.