The curious case of Ben Simmons! Every year since he has moved to Brooklyn, he comes out with a new promise ahead of the season. “For me to come back and dominate people will be great,” the former ROTY said last summer. Sure enough, his bold claims raise fans’ hopes, making them think this might be the year Simmons finally returns to his All-Star form. Yet, more often than not, it leads only to disappointment. This season has started no differently, as the Nets star’s underwhelming return has once again led to fans roasting him.

Returning fully healthy after his recent back surgery, Simmons reminded everyone of his talent during the preseason, “I think people forget me as a player when I’m healthy. I can play basketball, and I’m pretty good, right?” However, his first two regular-season appearances have been nothing short of a disaster. Not only have the Nets lost both games, but Simmons has scored a total of only 13 points.

Moreover, he has somehow managed to accumulate a double-double in fouls and turnovers, with a plus-minus rating of -24. In tonight’s game against the Magic, he recorded four turnovers and ended with a -17 rating. The issue of not taking enough shots persists, as he attempted only five field goals and converted two. There have been glimpses of Simmons’ elite playmaking skills, as he logged eight assists in the previous game. But that’s not enough to impress fans who watched him make three consecutive All-Star appearances in Philadelphia.

NBA World deems Ben Simmons “The Bust of our Lifetimes” after disappointing performance

Sure enough, fans were not going to let Simmons off the hook so easily after the bold claims he made before the season. And after seeing him struggle in his return yet again, comments like “GOAT BUST” and “The bust of our lifetimes” began flooding in. Yes, there was a time when Simmons was being considered the next LeBron James. Although a bold statement, he had every trick in the bag to live up to that claim. However, that’s not the case anymore and his rapid downfall has attached the ‘Bust’ tag to his name.

Meanwhile, one netizen even mocked Simmons’ training video that went viral earlier this summer, “But that offseason training vid.” Just like last year, there was a video of his workout where he looked in great shape and his trainer Chris Brickley even claimed, “Ben Simmons is back to playing All-Star talent-level basketball. Big season loading…” But now, he is struggling to even score double-digit points in a game.

More netizens mocked Simmons by sarcastically posting his own bold claim about being a good player when healthy, while another writing “MVP season incoming hahahahahah.”

While the idea of Simmons being an All-Star again or an MVP contender floats around every summer, his regular season performances tell a different story. And now that he is entering the final year of his current deal, his biggest concern should be to bag another NBA contract because most teams will be hesitant to sign him after his disappointing tenure in Brooklyn.