The New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets are renewing another chapter of their rivalry on Wednesday night at the Barclays Center. While there has been plenty of things to focus on off the court for the Nets, on the court, they have received some bulletin board material courtesy of former NBA All-Star and Knicks analyst, Wally Szczerbiak.
On Monday night during an appearance on MSG Network, Szczerbiak was asked about who he believed the most overrated player in the NBA was. Without hesitation, he picked Nets’ guard Ben Simmons and did not hold back in ripping him apart.
“Most overrated player is Ben Simmons,” he said. “It’s not even close. The guy couldn’t even play in the playoffs two years ago. Then he was scared to get on the court all of last year. The guy is scared to shoot. He’s the first pick in the NBA draft and you can’t even get him on the basketball floor.”
That is a scathing review from Szczerbiak, who was never shy about shooting the ball during his NBA playing days. But, it is an accurate assessment of what Simmons has turned into. He is a shell of his former self after missing the entire 2021-22 season, citing mental health and a back injury.
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That is a lot of rust to knock off, and things have been ugly for him thus far this season as he is averaging 5.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 62 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Simmons is shooting only 44.2 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from the foul line, numbers that are not going to cut it.
In the past, even with his offensive struggles, you could count on Simmons to provide an elite level of defense. Given his size and athleticism, he was arguably the most versatile defender in the NBA, capable of shutting down point guards as easily as big men. However, he has struggled mightily on that end of the court, leading to underwhelming results.
“He’s supposed to be a good defender. He was playing for the Brooklyn Nets and they were giving up 125 points per game and they got their coach (Steve Nash) fired because they couldn’t stop anybody,” Szczerbiak said. “Ben Simmons is so overrated you can’t even put him in the game anymore. It’s a little bit of a shame.”
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Simmons is expected to be on the court against the Knicks on Wednesday night and these comments from Szczerbiak could motivate him for the game. But, based on what we have seen thus far this season, that is unlikely to happen.
Despite being in a good situation that plays to his strengths, Simmons has struggled to find any consistency and production on the court. Maybe the coaching change with Jacque Vaughn can unlock something for Simmons, who is reportedly already wearing on teammates and has been involved in some trade talks.
