Almost a week ago, during an episode of his podcast, Stephen A. Smith named a few teams who would enter the 2023-2024 NBA campaign as “sleepers”. After picking the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Sacramento Kings as the sleeper teams in the Western Conference, the ESPN analyst named the Brooklyn Nets as the sleeper in the East. Smith highlighted the potential of the Brooklyn side despite calling out Ben Simmons for his exorbitant $37,893,408 paycheck just 10 days ago.
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Seems like Ben Simmons took the heavy criticism subjected to him by Stephen A. Smith and others seriously. In the preseason games so far, the Aussie guard has been hooping like his old self. Even though Simmons hasn’t put up monster numbers on the board, he has posted respectable stats based on the number of minutes he has played. This might have given some hope to Stephen A. Smith ahead of the upcoming season, as was revealed by his recent remarks on Simmons.
Stephen A. Smith talks about Ben Simmons gaining relevancy
Responding to a fan’s question, Stephen A. Smith named the teams that he believed were the sleepers entering the 2023-24 season. Before naming the Timberwolves and the Kings as the sleepers of the West, the 56-year-old revealed his definition of a sleeper.
“Sleeper to me is somebody that’s not in the contender picture but could end up knocking off some folks, sneaking in there,” Smith said.
Subsequently, the ESPN analyst picked the Brooklyn Nets as the sleepers in the East. However, Smith clarified that in order for the Nets to have a solid season, Ben Simmons will be required to play a decent supporting role. He also expressed his hopes regarding Simmons becoming relevant in the league once again.
“In the Eastern Conference in terms of a sleeper… If I had to look at anybody it would probably be Brooklyn. I don’t think they have what it takes. I don’t think they have enough personnel. But I think, praying that Ben Simmons becomes relevant again and wants to help out Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson and those boys, they could do some things. I think Brooklyn could do some things. They can make this season interesting, to say the least.”
Smith is not wrong. The Nets aren’t a powerhouse but can surely be labeled as a sleeper. With Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson gaining Team USA experience over the summer, they can take on the leadership role in the squad. With the likes of Lonnie Walker IV, Dorian Finney-Smith, Nic Claxton, and Spencer Dinwiddie on the team, the roster is looking pretty balanced. However, Simmons showing up will certainly be pivotal for the team’s success.
SAS wouldn’t give Simmons “a dime”
With Ben Simmons signing a $177 million contract extension in 2019, the three-time All-Star is set to earn $37,893,408 this upcoming season. Along with many talking heads, Stephen A. Smith also bashed Simmons’ contract just 10 days ago.
Richard Jefferson was also among the many critics who didn’t believe Simmons is quite up to the mark yet. RJ believed that the former Rookie of the Year wouldn’t be able to regain his All-Star form this year.
However, with hopes of proving his doubters wrong, Simmons already has had a great start to the 2023-2024 campaign.
