“He's not that pit bull, he's not that rottweiler… He's actually that family dog” – Kendrick Perkins lampoons Ben Simmons for his passive play, passes his mentality as incompetent for dominance
The Brooklyn Nets have played one game this season, and they didn't look good, losing 130-108 at home to the New Orleans Pelicans. One player, in particular, did not play well at all. Ben Simmons had only four points, five rebounds and five assists before fouling out in 23 minutes.
The team will need better production from Simmons to contend this season.
"He just don't have the mentality, OK?" ESPN's Kendrick Perkins said. "He's not that pit bull. He's not that rottweiler. He's not that German shepherd that you want to bark and growl and to protect your house. He's actually that family dog, OK?"
Perkins' assessment seems to be accurate. Part of the reason it didn’t work for Simmons in Philadelphia wasn’t that he was a bad shooter but just his overall unwillingness to shoot the ball. He does not appear to be aggressive enough to try to take control of the game on either the offensive or defensive end at this time.
Kendrick Perkins compares Ben Simmons to a family dog 😬
#NBATwitter #NetsWorld https://t.co/ZkqaCFJjJV
Ben Simmons is not Draymond Green
Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors may not be the best shooter in the league, but he does take shots. The moment doesn’t seem to get too big for him, and he always plays with high intensity. That is not the case with Ben Simmons.
"Ben Simmons is known as what one of the elite defenders in the league," Perkins said. "Although you might not impact it on the offensive end, there's still room for Ben Simmons – 6-10, athletic, 250 (pounds) – to impact on the defensive side of things.
"And Kyrie (Irving) talked about it inhis interview about being physical, basically about going out there and having that mentality."
The Green comparison is interesting because he is also known as one of the top-tier defenders in the league. Green does serve as a playmaker and facilitator on the offensive end as well. Simmons possesses these qualities, but he won’t shoot. Therefore, teams don’t have to account for him and play defense five on four against the Nets.
A key to Brooklyn trying to compete in the Eastern Conference will be the play of Simmons. If he can regain his All-Star form, then they will be able to contend. If he does not, then this team may be blown up before the trade deadline. A big part of that could come down to if Simmons at least tries to shoot the ball.