Only a few basketball players get the privilege to play for the same team throughout their career NBA career. Because, most NBA stars get traded to multiple franchises during their career, irrespective of their performance. Similarly, a blockbuster trade from the previous season hasn’t come across well among the Brooklyn Nets fans. The NBA world witnessed a massive trade involving James Harden and Ben Simmons hours before the trade deadline in February 2022. The Nets traded Harden for Simmons with the Philadelphia 76ers to strengthen their guard. However, the recent performances of the Nets guard didn’t impress the fans as they could not resist blaming the Nets star, Ben Simmons.
Simmons has had a decent outing this season averaging 7.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 6.4 assists in 35 games. However, the Nets fans seemed to expect more from the Fresh Prince. Moreover, a recent tweet questioned the Nets star’s new fear, and the fans rallied along with the tweet with more reactions.
Fans blame James Harden for Ben Simmons’ performance
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NBACentral, a Twitter handle recently shared a video compilation of Ben Simmons with a debatable question. The video contained various lapses of Simmons on the hardwood. The narrator in the video also said, “He’s straight up holding the Nets back and causing their offense to be stagnant.” Moreover, the Twitter handle raised an arguable question, “Is Ben Simmons afraid to score?”
Following the tweet, the NBA Twitter swarmed with varied opinions on the video. Some fans even looked for excuses to blame for the Nets’ letdown. One user said, “I’ll never forgive James harden for making us trade for this dude.” Following are some reactions from the NBA Twitter.
This is definitely Joel Embiid's fault
— ً (@_itsnotmatt) January 24, 2023
I'll never forgive Sixers fans for arguing with me that Jimmy should be the second option (or first) on that team and not Ben Simmons
— Bby Baklava (@meoveryou) January 24, 2023
He might be afraid to score but I think the actual problems before that are:
1) he’s afraid of the foul line. Doesn’t want the pressure of having to make free throws
2) he doesn’t actually have a logical role on that Nets roster so he’s basically useless outside of defense
— JL (@TheyCallMeJL_94) January 24, 2023
I’ll never forgive James harden for making us trade for this dude
— A (@user12346758) January 24, 2023
He's 6'10, earning a max contract, and refuses to do the most important thing in basketball. It's one thing to be a low-scoring player, but if you're afraid to take a jumper and won't attack the rim because you can't make free throws, it messes up everyone else.
— PJ (@pjraduta) January 24, 2023
I try to defend him but I’m losing my patience 😂 he gotta start scoring
— 🥷🏾 (@AustinC_20) January 25, 2023
Makes me heated just watching this. The video shows that his offensive confidence is low. It’s ok to be pass first but not pass only. They need buckets from him too with KD out.
— Damon L. Smith (@wot29) January 24, 2023
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When talking about Harden, the Sixers’ star averages 21.5 points, 11.2 assists, and 6.5 rebounds in 30 games this season. Moreover, the Sixers are in the second of the Eastern Conference with a 30-16 record.
Blockbuster trade from 2022:
James Harden averaged 23.4 points during his two seasons with the Nets, whereas Simmons is averaging 7.5 points after his Nets trade. These players emerged as the most anticipated trade in the last season. However, the stats arguably prove that the Sixers have ultimately won the trade. While the Nets faced a massive setback losing Kevin Durant to a knee injury, the Nets may look for a reinforcement before the trade deadline.
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What do you make of Ben Simmons’ recent performance with the Nets? Let us know in the comments below!
