Fans share hilarious reactions on Ramona Shelburne believing Ben Simmons to fill in shoes of Kevin Durant
In the wake of Kevin Durant's injury on Sunday night, Ben Simmons may be expected to perform better for the Brooklyn Nets. ESPN's Ramona Shelburne shared why Simmons has to step up big for the team, and fans found it hilarious, quickly turning to Twitter to share their takes.
On Sunday night, Durant suffered an MCL sprain to his left knee after a collision with Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler. Luckily for the Nets, they were able to win 102-101 against the Heat, thanks to Kyrie Irving.
Following the injury, the big question was, who will take over for the Nets? Durant's knee injury in January last season led to a 3-17 slump.
While many analysts see this as an opportunity for Irving to step up, Shelburne sees Simmons as a candidate to rise to the challenge.
"Ben Simmons has been great for them defensively," Shelburne said. "With Nic Claxton and Ben Simmons, they have a really good defense this year."
.@ramonashelburne is looking at Ben Simmons to step up for the Nets while KD is injured 👀
"Now they need Ben Simmons to go back to being Ben Simmons." https://t.co/10PeLQvafq
"Now they need Ben Simmons to go back to being Ben Simmons."
After Shelburne shared her take on who will take over for Brooklyn, fans quickly laughed at the idea. Given how Simmons has played so far, many don't view the 6-foot-10 forward as an assertive star for the team.
Here are some of the best reactions to Shelburne's take:
@ESPNNBA @ramonashelburne I’m pretty sure they don’t want that 😂
@ESPNNBA @ramonashelburne Missing shots and sitting out?
@ESPNNBA @ramonashelburne Good luck. Ben Simmons doesn’t even know how to be Ben Simmons any more
@ESPNNBA @ramonashelburne Haven’t we said that for like 4 years now ?
@ESPNNBA @ramonashelburne He hasn't worked on his game. It's funny to me that guys like Isaiah Stewart are shooting 3s these days. At 34% incredibly. But Ben cannot even take turn around 10fters.
What has he worked on in the 5 plus yrs he's been a Pro?
What is he better at now than when he started?
@ESPNNBA @ramonashelburne Got a better chance of hell freezing over...
@ESPNNBA @ramonashelburne ‘Being Ben Simmons’ isn’t the flex they think it is
@ESPNNBA @ramonashelburne Good luck with that lol
@ESPNNBA @ramonashelburne 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 what a joke
@ESPNNBA @ramonashelburne Who is Ben Simmons?
@ESPNNBA @ramonashelburne Ben ain't gonna shoot the ball...he'll give it up to somebody else!
@ESPNNBA @ramonashelburne One question for the experts? What are Ben Simmons initials?
#EverythingYouNeedToKnow
@ESPNNBA @ramonashelburne Just stop. Ben gonna give u 30????, emm, NO.🤡🤡
Brooklyn (27-13), which has won 18 of its past 20 games, will try to get its third straight win as they battle the Boston Celtics on Thursday.
Also read: Kyrie Irving assures Brooklyn Nets are well prepared to deal with Kevin Durant possibly missing time due to injury
Will the Nets be able to stay consistent if Ben Simmons takes over?
Durant is expected to miss at least a month for the Nets to recover from his MCL sprain injury. With this, the team could look to their other stars to step up and keep them at the top of the Eastern Conference. Many are counting on Irving to take over most of the scoring responsibilities, but what about Simmons?
Kevin Durant injury update: Nets star has sprained MCL in right knee, expected to miss a month, per report
cbssports.com/nba/news/kevin…
Simmons hasn't been the same since getting traded from the Philadelphia 76ers in February. Earlier in the season, he struggled to keep up with the team. Defensively, he's slowly getting back to form, although he doesn't look like the same defensive juggernaut anymore.
There have been games where the three-time All-Star has exhibited elite play. However, he's been inconsistent in shooting the ball. Against the Heat, there was one instance when he matched up against Kyle Lowry in the post.
Ben Simmons fading away in the post with a 6'0" Kyle Lowry on him is not what you want to see.
Lowry is ten inches shorter than the Australian guard, but Simmons opted to shoot a fadeaway jumper over the guard. It's clear that his confidence isn't back yet, which is why choosing him as the next man up in place for Durant is a shaky notion.
Also read: Looking back at timeline of Daryl Morey's patient game with Ben Simmons trade which netted them James Harden