Watch: “SHOOT IT BEN!” - Kyrie Irving gets frustrated with Ben Simmons’ passive play as he passes up clear shot in loss to Milwaukee Bucks
Ben Simmons and the Brooklyn Nets took on the Milwaukee Bucks last night. Interestingly, in one particular possession, All-Star guard Kyrie Irving literally voiced his frustration at Simmons.
The Brooklyn Nets (1-3) have started their 2022-23 campaign slow. Through four games, they've only managed to win one game. During their match against the Bucks, there was one play that stood out the most for most fans. On the play, Irving dished out a pass to a somewhat open Simmons to get a quick bucket early in the third period.
After passing it to Ben Simmons, Irving was heard yelling at his teammates to shoot the ball. The Australian guard, however, decided to kick the ball to Kevin Durant, who was on the right wing. Luckily for them, Durant is talented enough to take the ball closer and score from the left elbow.
"SHOOT IT BEN!" Irving yelled.
Watch the video below:
“SHOOT IT BEN!”
Kyrie Irving is begging Ben Simmons to shoot the ball 😭 https://t.co/gXGlCtB4QJ
Last night's match between the two teams was their first out of the four they'll be having this season. Giannis Antetokounmpo carried the entire Bucks with an incredible performance where he put up 43 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks. While he did have seven turnovers, the Bucks were still more willing to win than the Nets.
Brooklyn had their usual struggles that stemmed from their season debut. The team relied heavily on the production of their stars. Durant and Irving had 33 and 27 points, respectively, last night. But that wasn't enough to win against Milwaukee.
Their head coach, Steve Nash, also had his moment during the game after he was ejected with four minutes left in the third quarter.
The Nets are one of the teams that started slow this season. Interestingly, all the games that they lost came from a 10-point deficit, sometimes even more.
Ben Simmons hasn't changed and still lacks aggressiveness
Over the span of four games, Ben Simmons still hasn't had a decent game as the new point guard for the Brooklyn Nets. Based on the eye test, Simmons looks less confident compared to his playing days with the Philadelphia 76ers. Even when he's given a bit of room to score, the 6-foot-10 is hesitant to shoot.
Defensively, however, he's been aggressive and that's one aspect that his teammates and coaches are at ease with. But sometimes, he can be too aggressive. He has fouled out twice in four games, and his presence on the defensive side is valuable to the Nets.
Ben Simmons has 17 points and 14 fouls this season...
He's fouled out in 2/3 games he's played in https://t.co/048AWiNHs4
If the team wants this "Big Three" to work, Ben Simmons has to step up offensively and start scoring for the team.
Back problems remain an issue for Ben Simmons
Ben Simmons' comeback story is something that fans are slowly monitoring. After a whole season of no NBA action, the former number one pick is finally back in the hardwood. One of the reasons that held him back was the back problems that he dealt with back when he was with the Sixers.
Ben Simmons hurt his back on this play. Hope he’s okay 🙏 https://t.co/wAgsQY052j
During the game against the Bucks, Simmons held onto his back after driving against Antetokounmpo. It appears that he's still bothered by the back issues that caused him to miss an entire season. Good thing for the Nets, the 6-foot-10 point guard was able to finish the game.