Asked how he and the other Brooklyn Nets key players can get newcomer Ben Simmons to play better, Kyrie Irving shrugged his shoulders and said: “He just needs to get reps. And minutes. It’s as simple as that.” But is it?
And even if it’s true that Simmons getting minutes means a better Ben Simmons, how can he get them? Because an over-aggressive Simmons who no longer commands the respect of referees or opponents is as foul-plagued as any NBA player in recent memory. He fouled out of the season opener after taking only three shots.
“We told him in the locker room: he is a valuable piece for us and we need him out there. And fouling out is not an option.”
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) October 20, 2022
Kyrie Irving talks about Ben Simmons fouling out in his Nets debut: pic.twitter.com/sYtJ8NxXWh
In a preseason match up, Simmons fouled out in 13 minutes. Yes, you read that right.
You can’t get minutes if you can’t stay on the floor. And this from a player who once claimed in the past to be the “best defensive player” in the league. At one point, an anonymous poll among NBA coaches also named Simmons the best NBA defender. Time moves on though, and sometimes it takes your confidence with it, as seems to be the case with Simmons.
Ben Simmons tonight:
— StatMuse (@statmuse) October 15, 2022
2 PTS
6 AST
Fouled out in 13 minutes. pic.twitter.com/gMlyUR9GPh
Irving addressed the Simmons foul trouble also, saying they talked about it in the locker room and that Simmons needs to play better. Aggressive, yes, but also “smart.” But it’s hard to be smart when you’ve lost confidence.
Simmons was supposed to be working on his game during his long time off, especially developing a serviceable shot to increase his confidence. But as this telltale video below shows in just an instant, he hasn’t done it.
You can say it’s a nothing moment, but the fact is no NBA player who has worked on his shot would ever throw up a shot like this air ball, even messing around. Tellingly, Simmons never gets his hand under the ball, but grips it from the side — something a real shooter never does. Never. And note: good shooters tend to miss long and short, but rarely off to the side.
