There was a time, not too long ago, that we were talking about Ben Simmons he was meant to do so one of the greatest talents of his generation. The creativity as a passer that the Australian showed every time he set foot on the field provoked all kinds of reactions and comparisons from the public. In his profile stood out a preference for the direction that allowed him to draw a natural line magic Johnson to Lebron James until you reach him.
There is nothing more dangerous for an athlete than this fear. Fear paralyzes, sows doubt, weakens, makes what was previously ordinary and routine a heavy burden to carry on. This panic, which may not always be apparent to the outsider’s eye, translates to professional athletes in questionable decision-making and a constant inability to impact the game. Controlling the situation in this type of scenario is the most difficult of all. Not only must a player know their reality, but they must also be willing and able to reverse it. Ben Simmons has been in this dangerous negative dynamic for so long that the aggressive, unpredictable, and determined player who wowed his rookie year has already been buried by time. Fear has gripped the Australian to the point of frustration for his coach, Jacques Vaughan.
Many believed that a reboot away from the toxic environment of Philadelphia and the 76ers would unlock Ben’s mind. In fact, the scenario that brooklyn nets presented was the dream for a profile like this. surrounded by snipers With a lot of success and experience, as well as a mobile interior and the ability to even play that role himself, everything pointed to this being the moment of take-off for the 26-year-old. Nothing could be further from the truth.
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At this point, with more than 300 games behind them, it is impossible to determine what type of player Ben Simmon issmall. That ambiguity, far from being a virtue, is a burden. A 2.08 guy who moves with the speed of a point guard, who can defend all five positions and whose ability to react in the half advantage is exciting. But he’s also a low-impact offensive profile whose polished individual technique fades as he gets closer and closer to the basket. Its signature hook is no longer seen as an interesting application of a classic resource in a way to display all of its limitations.
One of the problems the NBA presents with profiles as unique as Simmons’ is that patience runs out quickly when results take time to arrive. The difficulties to find a way to be comfortable on the flooras well as the team that provides him with lineups that maximize his conditions is formidable.
The inability to find or create a specific role for the Australian leads him to be effectively left out of the rotation of some Nets who do not have an abundant army after the transfers of their stars. While it’s true that he has physical issues, his minutes are dropping week by week. If on January 20 he spent almost 37 minutes on the floor against the Utah Jazz, on February 7 it was already 26, then 19 against the Bulls, 16 against “their” 76ers, and finally 11 in the loss to the Knicks.
In this sense, Jacque Vaughn expressed himself halfway between honest frustration and seeking to provoke a reaction in his student:
“We have to do some work on it, simply you have to take a look at what some lineups will look like.”, began in his response to Simmons’ few minutes against the Knicks. “If you put another big man next to Ben, then you have to understand what the distance is like. Then if you put another playmaker next to him, then you have to figure out how he’s going to move without the ball. And if you suggest small formats, you need to see if someone can accompany you on the rebound. The challenges are ahead of us, we have to face them and we’ll see how it goes.”
if the question Simmons had been put into the second half of the Nets’ season due to other priorities now that neither Irving nor Durant are with the team. the sword of Damocles is again on his head. He pointed out that while everyone is waiting to become the philosopher’s stone that guides the future of the Nets. The constant pressure the Australian has been under since his teenage years, which has intensified since June 2021, seems to have caused something to snap inside him. He split his career in two after missing a layup in Game 7 against the Hawks, and it was impossible to find his way after that.
6 were the lineups with more than 20 minutes the Nets fielded this campaign with the 26-year-old point guard present. All but one were positive, some very brilliant. Neither of these can be repeated for the rest of the season due to the absence of the two lost stars. And finding positive data in which Simmons is present without those two is more difficult. In fact, discs leave a lot to be desired.
The Nets player’s steep descent from star to bench ostracism has some explanation. Not only is he coming off an off season with a complicated back injury, but during this season he dealt with various knee issues that limited him physically. However, it is unjustified that Had almost as many rebounds (259) and assists (252) as points (289) when these are added two by two. The worrying thing is that the defense, its great pillar, is not there either. If in his final year with Philly he left opponents in a 41.7% correct. (2nd best in the league), this season he is giving up the 46.9%.
“I think it’s a bit frustrating trying to find rhythm and consistency, but that’s what it is at the moment.” Simmons talked about his situation after the loss to the Knicks. “Guys have been in and out because of injuries, transfers, so there’s been a lot of different things that play into it. Hopefully now we have some margin time and can find some rhythm and consistency.”.
Time is the only thing a Ben Simmons can cling to, who seems to be in freefall with nothing to hold on to to slow his descent. Brooklyn offered a dream scenario, but it could end up being a prison for him.
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
