Ben Simmons makes pointed accusation at Nets front office amid tanking expectations
Over the past month, Ben Simmons has seen the Brooklyn Nets roster change around him multiple times. While it appears the franchise is gearing up for a rebuild, the former All-Star said the team needs to keep the right mindset.
At the start of the season, the Nets were playing way above expectations and looked like they could sneak into a playoff spot. However, that's slowly changed following a series of trades. First, Dennis Schroder was dealt to the Golden State Warriors. A few weeks later, the Nets sent Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton to the LA Lakers.
Following their loss to the Utah Jazz Sunday, the Nets sit at 1-8 over their last nine games. Amid this rough skid, Ben Simmons stated that the team needs to have a winning mindset no matter what the front office might be planning long-term.
“I know this is kind of like a rebuild situation, but we’ve got to go in there like we want to win regardless of what the front office is expecting," Simmons said.
Simmons has seen an expanded role following Brooklyn's flurry of trades, but still hasn't looked like the All-Star he once was. In the 27 games he's played this season, the former No. 1 pick is averaging 6.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists.
Ben Simmons fills box score in nail-biting loss vs Utah Jazz
Along with sharing his thoughts on how the Nets should approach games, Ben Simmons is backing it up with his play. He did everything he could on Sunday to try and get Brooklyn back in the win column against the Utah Jazz.
Simmons started at point guard on Sunday and logged 31 minutes of action. He went on to finish the game with a stat line of 14 points, six rebounds, nine assists and two blocks. It was also an efficient outing for Simmons, converting seven of his 11 shot attempts.
Unfortunately for Ben Simmons and the Nets, these efforts would all be for nothing. They were within arm's reach of a victory but had it stolen away from them in the end.
Down one with a few seconds left in overtime, the Jazz put the ball in the hands of rookie Isaiah Collier. He managed to come up big for them, soaring to the basket for a game-winning layup.
Collier would be the biggest storyline of this game, putting together one of his best performances in the NBA thus far. Along with the game-winner, he recorded 23 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
Looking ahead, Simmons and the Nets have a good opportunity to end their losing streak. In their next matchup, they're slated to face off against another rebuilding team in the Portland Trail Blazers.