Ben Simmons ties with NBA great on elite list on Tuesday night: All you need to know
Brooklyn Nets point forward Ben Simmons has become one of the NBA’s most hated players over the past few years. This is mostly due to a combination of his limited offensive skillset and accusations of him being a soft player.
However, the former No. 1 pick still has a valuable NBA skillset as a player with good size (6-foot-10), who can defend, rebound and play-make.
All of these skills were on display during Brooklyn’s 106-98 loss to San Antonio on Tuesday night as Simmons moved up in the record books.
Simmons finished with a triple-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists to go along with four steals and two blocks. The performance marked the 33rd triple-double of his career. This moved Simmons into a tie with NBA legend Bob Cousy for the 12th most triple-doubles in NBA history.
Ben Simmons in the loss:
10 PTS
10 REB
11 AST
4 STL
2 BLK
Ties Bob Cousy for the 12th most triple-doubles of all-time. https://t.co/ooeNi6SF89
Following his triple-double, Ben Simmons is averaging 7.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game on 57.3% shooting.
Brooklyn's offensive struggles continue despite Ben Simmons' triple-double
Unfortunately, for Ben Simmons, his 33rd career triple-double didn’t translate to a win as the Brooklyn Nets’ offensive struggles continued without superstar forward Kevin Durant. The Nets were also without All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving, who missed the game due to right calf soreness.
The Spurs were led by rising star forward Keldon Johnson, who recorded a game-high 36 points and 11 rebounds. Meanwhile, six Nets players scored in double figures, however, their leading scorer was veteran forward T.J. Warren with just 19 points.
The Nets, as a team, also mustered just 98 points in comparison to their 114.0 points per game average in the 39 games Durant has played in. They are now averaging just 99.3PPG over their last three games without Durant.
With the win, the Spurs improved to 14-31. However, they remain just 14th in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the loss marked Brooklyn’s third straight, dropping them to 27-16 and fourth in the Eastern Conference.
The Nets are also just 1-3 without Durant this season, who is expected to miss at least a few more weeks with a right MCL sprain. So Brooklyn will have to find different ways of scoring in the absence of Durant if they hope to stay afloat in the competitive East.
Also read: Kenny Smith wants Ben Simmons to emulate Russell Westbrook's scoring method