Ben Simmons has not been good for the Brooklyn Nets this season, and it has been difficult to watch him struggle. After not playing a single game last season, fans thought that Simmons would come back hungry, wanting to prove himself. Unfortunately, that has not been the case.
Simmons has certainly disappointed Shaq, who is a fellow LSU alumnus. Shaq has been very critical of Simmons in the past, and Ben has not been appreciative of what the big man has had to say about him. Regardless, Shaq is paid to give his opinion, and he will continue to do just that.
For instance, Shaq was on his podcast this past week where he revealed that he is simply sick of watching Ben Simmons play basketball. It was a harsh shot at the Brooklyn Nets star, albeit one that fans would probably expect. Simmons is averaging less than 10 points per game and while his assists are solid, Simmons looks timid at the rim.
Shaq went on to say that he has been in Simmons' shoes before. He remembers missing 10 free throws in a row and then being scared about taking the next one. The difference is that Shaq feels like Ben just needs to be more courageous. He appears to be cowering and it's a strategy that Shaq cannot respect, in good conscious.
At this point, it feels like the entire Nets team is a mess. Kyrie Irving is about to miss five games due to his recent controversy, and it's clear that Simmons is not good enough to be a second option right now. Things are going from bad to worse for the Nets, and they might have to trade Simmons before they even get a full year's worth of basketball out of him.
The Nets will continue to be an interesting team to watch over the coming weeks, so stay tuned to HNHH for all of the latest news and updates from around the basketball world.