Shannon Sharpe trolls Ben Simmons after another dud in Brooklyn Nets loss: “I don’t know what Ben Simmons was working on when he was away from the Sixers but basketball isn’t one of em"
Shannon Sharpe slammed Ben Simmons after another dismal outing with the Brooklyn Nets. Simmons scored seven points on 3-of-7 shooting in the team's 129-125 overtime loss against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday. His underwhelming performances have contributed to the Nets' disappointing 1-4 start.
Sharpe hasn't been impressed with Simmons' return to the court. During the latest episode of "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed," the former NFL star said:
"This player's embarassing. The man's 6-foot-10. And you airball a layup when you're five foot away from the basket. I don’t know he was dealing with, what he was working on when he was away from the Sixers ... but basketball isn’t one of 'em.”
“I don’t know what Ben Simmons was working on when he was away from the Sixers but basketball isn’t one of em.”
— @ShannonSharpe on Ben Simmons airballing layup https://t.co/3Bb15tbWdY
Ben Simmons continues to struggle on offense. He has attempted 5.4 shots per game across five games. His lack of shooting and scoring has impacted the Nets. Simmons has also been rusty since his return and has fouled out twice.
His contributions as a player in the team's starting and closing lineups are not up to the mark. That needs to change to help Brooklyn win games.
Brooklyn Nets patient with Ben Simmons as he struggles to find his rhythm
As analysts and fans continue to take digs at Ben Simmons, his Brooklyn Nets teammates and coaching staff have maintained their support for him. Simmons was on the sidelines for more than 400 days. He also had back surgery this summer.
Coach Steve Nash considers Simmons to be an integral member of the team. Nash wants Simmons to find the joy of playing basketball again. He also said the team wants the Australian guard to regain his confidence.
"For me, it's trying to take the risk off the table," Nash said. "I'm not expecting him to be 100% in the short term, but I want him to try to find that and join him playing the game.
"He's a huge piece of our team. We've just got to support him and keep working with him and trying to give him as much confidence as possible."
"He's a huge piece of our team. We've just got to support him and keep working with him and trying to give him as much confidence as possible."
- Steve Nash on Ben Simmons https://t.co/vxOD2uJzhy
Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving lashed out at reporters for being critical of Simmons since his return. Irving said that Simmons will need time to rediscover his mojo.
"You guys keep coming in here asking me, like, what about Ben?" Irving said. "He hasn't played in two years. Give him give him a f**ing chance. We stay on his s**t. You just stay on him. But we're here to give him positive affirmations."
Simmons evidently lacks confidence right now. The former 76ers star air-balled a layup against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night. Simmons has often played passively, frequently looking for his teammates for scoring opportunities.