"Ben Simmons is so overrated, you can't even put him in the game anymore" - Former All-Star thinks Brooklyn Nets star is NBA's most overrated player
Ben Simmons is having a tough start to the season for the Brooklyn Nets. Simmons has struggled on both offense and defense whenever he's on the floor. A former All-Star thinks Simmons might be the most overrated player in the NBA.
Current New York Knicks analyst and ex-NBA player Wally Szczerbiak said on the MSG Network on Monday that Simmons has looked scared on the court. Szczerbiak pointed out how the Nets star played miserably for the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2021 playoffs and missed all of last season.
"Most overrated player is Ben Simmons," Szczerbiak said. "It's not even close. The guy couldn't even play in the playoffs two years ago. Then he was scared to get on the court all of last year. The guy is scared to shoot. He's the first pick in the NBA draft, and you can't even get him on the basketball floor."
To read about Wally Szczerbiak's tirade on Ben Simmons, click here.
Szczerbiak doubled down on his take on Simmons later in the broadcast. The former Minnesota Timberwolves star was critical of Simmons' defense, which he believes contributed to Steve Nash's firing.
"He's supposed to be a good defender," Szczerbiak said. "He was playing for the Brooklyn Nets, and they were giving up 125 points per game, and they got their coach fired because they couldn't stop anybody. Ben Simmons is so overrated, you can’t even put him in the game anymore. It’s a little bit of a shame."
Simmons is averaging 5.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.6 steals this season. He has a lot of work to do to regain his All-Star form. He underwent back surgery in the offseason and recently missed four games due to a bum knee.
An MRI revealed that there was no structural damage to Simmons' knee. However, the knee had to be drained to reduce the swelling. The Nets are expected to manage his minutes till he fully recovers from the injury. He was limited to just 16 minutes against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.
Also Read: Ben Simmons laughs at new wave of criticism following viral airball at Nets open practice
Ben Simmons wants to play for Australia in 2024 Olympics
Ben Simmons has expressed his interest in representing Australia at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
He told The Sydney Morning Herald explained that playing for his country in the Olympics is his dream.
"Do I want to play for Australia? 100%," Simmons said. "Will I one day? 100%. I'm going to the Olympics. It's not a question; it's a dream of mine. But I’m also not going to let people tell me when and how I do things."
However, Simmons has not played for Australia since he was drafted in the NBA six years ago. He was called up to play at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics and the 2019 FIBA World Cup but withdrew due to several reasons.
Also Read: Brooklyn Nets star calls out Shaquille O'Neal for criticizing him before understanding his situation