"If KD and Kyrie ever have an off night they're getting blown out" - NBA analyst is concerned with Nets offensive firepower, mentions Nets playing better basketball as Ben Simmons was ruled out

Despite strong individual performances from Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Brooklyn Nets have struggled so far this season. Expected to compete for the NBA title, the Nets are just 2-6 and have already fired head coach Steve Nash. NBA analyst Shannon Sharpe shared his concerns about their roster and also called out an underperforming Ben Simmons.

On "Undisputed," the NFL Hall of Famer said:

"Any off shooting night, they're done, and you gotta hope that KD and Kyrie give you these type of numbers every single night. If KD and Kyrie ever have an off-night, they're getting blown out by 20. KD gave you 36, Kyrie gave you 28. That's 64 points between those two, and that's what they gotta give you on a nightly basis.

"It also shows Ben Simmons didn't play last night so they finally got an opportunity to play 5-on-5 offensive basketball. Even though Joe Harris was not spectacular, he was able to add something. You gotta respect him when he's on the court. You're not respecting Ben Simmons on the offensive end."

Brooklyn's early-season struggles have been somewhat of a surprise. While many people expected Simmons to struggle following his departure from the Philadelphia 76ers, nobody expected him to start the season this poorly.

Watch Shannon Sharpe discuss the struggling Brooklyn Nets below:

UNDISPUTED

@undisputed

“Ben Simmons didn’t play last night, so the Nets finally were able to play 5 on 5, but defensively they're bad. If KD, Kyrie ever have an off night they’re getting blown out.”

— @ShannonSharpe

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“Ben Simmons didn’t play last night, so the Nets finally were able to play 5 on 5, but defensively they're bad. If KD, Kyrie ever have an off night they’re getting blown out.”

— @ShannonSharpe https://t.co/kuVoD7JrVp

Are the Brooklyn Nets better without Ben Simmons on both ends of the court?

Calling the Brooklyn Nets' start to the season disappointing would be quite the understatement. Head coach Steve Nash was fired after just seven games, while Ben Simmons has struggled mightily on both ends of the court.

Adrian Wojnarowski

@wojespn

The Nets fired Steve Nash, sources tell ESPN.

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The Nets fired Steve Nash, sources tell ESPN.

Brooklyn's offense is clearly better without Simmons, as he has not provided any value on that end. However, he has not offered much defensively either. He currently ranks 387 in the league in player defensive ratings.

While Simmons' offensive struggles were suspected by some, his lack of aggression has really hurt the Nets. More importantly, Brooklyn need him to be the player who was part of the All-Defensive Team in 2019 and 2020.

Without Simmons performing at that level, it is hard to envision the team improving much defensively. Thus far, the Nets are giving 118.3 points per game, which is ranked 28th in the league.

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