One game away from being +500, the Brooklyn Nets haven’t had the ideal start to the season, with poor performances and off-court controversies haunting them. Despite having offensive savants like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the team has been struggling to hold the fort.
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Nonetheless, there have been a few positive developments off-late, beginning with Ben Simmons finding his rhythm back. The former Sixers guard has been mixing well off-late post a horrid start to the season. Recently promoted to head coach Jacque Vaughn has been a welcome change for the Nets crew.
While it isn’t the wisest decision to rely on Irving, given his controversial history, the Nets hope to flip the switch from here onwards. During a recent episode on the boardroom podcast, Durant revealed some interesting insights regarding the chemistry on the roster.
Also read: Ben Simmons Cheekily Pulls the Michael Jordan Shrug at 76ers Fans, After Only Lacing 2 Free Throws
The two-time champion narrated an incident involving teammate Simmons giving him an earful for not throwing down the slam on the latter’s backdoor pass.
Kevin Durant hilariously narrates Ben Simmons losing his cool on him.
It’s been a rough ride for Simmons post his ugly episode in Philadelphia, making him constantly subjected to scrutiny. The former ROTY has been struggling with mental health issues ever since. Nonetheless, the 6ft 10″ guard hopes to turn a new leaf, joining forces with Durant and Irving.
Post a string of single-digit statlines to start the season with, Simmons has been getting back to his old self, if his recent performances are anything to go by. There has been an evident change in the 26-year-old’s demeanor on the court, something KD shed further light on.
Addressing an event during the recent Nets-Trail Blazers game, Durant revealed Simmons was livid at him for passing on an open dunk.
“Dunk the fu**ing ball,” Durant recalled Simmons being irate.
“I was like, alright my man, you right, that’s the sh*t I kind of like,” said the two-time Finals MVP.
From what it seems, Simmons knows the consequences of passing on an open dunk, something for which he received heavy criticism during the 2021 semi-final series against the Hawks. Thus the former Sixers guard doesn’t want his superstar teammate to witness the same.
Ben Simmons and his history of passing open dunks.
There is no denying the 2021 playoff series against the Hawks served as a nightmare for Simmons, robbing him of his confidence, especially when it came to taking care of things on the offense. The situation came to a point where the three-time All-Star failed to realize his potential.
Simmons would relive a similar situation in the Nets uniform too, leaving teammate Irving livid.
It’s certainly a welcome change to see an aggressive side to Simmons, given there is no denying the talent the Aussie native possesses.
