Coach’s blunt response shows Nets near ‘breaking point’ with Ben – but he’s ‘virtually untradeable’
Brooklyn Nets coach Jacque Vaughn seems to be rising more and more pissed off with Aussie Ben Simmons.
For the second time this season, Simmons didn’t see out the second sport of a back-to-back, leaving within the third quarter of the Nets’ loss to the lowly Detroit Pistons with ‘knee soreness’.
Simmons has missed plenty of video games this season with knee soreness, together with calf points and decrease again ache. The points are linked, he has stated previously, to a again drawback that required surgical procedure early final 12 months.
But Simmons’ health woes solely served to exacerbate an issue that’s turning into more and more clear for the title-chasing Nets – Simmons just isn’t delivering the type of assist that famous person Kyrie Irving wants. Nor, for that matter, is he delivering the type of influence that warrants the Australian’s large pay cheque.
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Against the worst group within the East Conference, and the group with the second-worst defence within the NBA, Simmons managed zero factors on simply three makes an attempt earlier than heading to the locker room.
Vaughn stated: “Whether it’s a back-to-back — I remember four in five nights, three in four, four in six, doesn’t matter. You do what’s necessary, whether that’s taking care of your body, the mental part of it, the work that goes on between days off, days off, between games, game day, to get yourself in a position to win. That’s why we do this thing.”
When requested about Ben Simmons’ harm, Vaughn was much more blunt – and even appeared to roll his eyes at one level.
“The goal, in my eyes, is for everyone to play every game and to do what’s necessary to play every game.
“It’s a certain amount of minutes that each individual played in Philly. Some played equally tonight. So the preparation that it takes going into that, you just have to give credit to the guys who were prepared to play, ready to play, did what was necessary to get their bodies ready to play.”
The inference is evident: Simmons just isn’t doing what is important, mentally or bodily.
Vaughn’s frustrations are comprehensible. Irving dropped 40 factors on the identical day he was named All-Star starter. With fellow All-Star Kevin Durant injured, Ben Simmons is the Nets’ second-highest participant on the courtroom, selecting up $35.45m USD this 12 months and rising to over $40m by 2024/25.
But within the eight video games with out Durant, the Nets have misplaced six. In that span, Simmons has averaged six factors, 5.9 rebounds and eight.3 assists. In the absence of the Nets’ prime scorer this season, Simmons’ scoring output has dropped from his already-meagre season common of seven.4 factors (he’s additionally averaged 6.5 rebounds and 6.4 assists this season).
In a damning evaluation of Simmons’ type, John Hollinger stated he was being paid “roughly three times what he’s worth” whereas fellow The Athletic reporter Alex Schiffer added he was enjoying “closer to a taxpayer’s midlevel player”.
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With the commerce deadline looming, it leaves Brooklyn in a critical spot of hassle. Without Durant on the courtroom, Irving’s common scoring heroics are usually not sufficient to hold the Nets. They are at the moment fourth within the Eastern Conference with the one dropping document of their final ten video games of the highest eight groups. A really pleasant schedule sees them play at residence for a lot of the rest of the common season. But by the point Durant returns – probably not for one more fortnight – the harm to their hopes of reaching a top-two spot within the East may already be performed.
Simmons is listed as ‘questionable’ to play within the Nets large conflict with the NY Knicks (Sunday 9.30am AEDT). Once once more, his lengthy battle with accidents is proving a key drawback.
As Robin Lundberg of Sports Illustrated wrote in reply to Vaughn’s pissed off press convention solutions, “It feels like the Ben Simmons situation is nearing a breaking point”.
But a commerce seems all-but-impossible. Lundberg added: “Not sure what that even looks like though. He’s only a role player now and is essentially untradeable.”
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As Schiffer stated on The Athletic: “I don’t know what the answer is. I don’t see a trade market for him, and whatever the return is likely won’t give you immediate help. Could you even get a first-rounder in return?”
Hollinger added: “As for trading Simmons, good luck with that. The Nets would need to attach draft picks, not receive them, and — last I checked — they need a permission slip from the Rockets to do anything with any of their draft capital.
“I just don’t see any cap situation right now on another roster where exchanging for Simmons would be helpful, and that won’t change unless either Simmons plays better or another player on a huge contract plays badly enough that trading him for Simmons becomes palatable.”
It’s a damning indictment of simply how far Simmons’ inventory has fallen – particularly contemplating the Nets gave up James Harden to the 76ers to carry the Aussie to Brooklyn.
After the Irving-Harden-Durant megastar trio didn’t dwell as much as its lofty expectations, that commerce was all about delivering the Nets a championship as quickly as attainable.
But Simmons’ large contract means they valuable little cap area to play with within the commerce market to bolster, both now or on the finish of the season.
Again, an enormous drawback. The Nets are delaying handing Kyrie Irving a long-term contract extension so long as attainable, with the red-hot star turning into an unrestricted free agent on the finish of this 12 months. The level guard has declared he desires to stick with his hometown group however talks have stalled.
That drawback may solely be solved after the season ends, when the Nets determine in the event that they’re glad to maintain paying the league a seven-figure luxurious tax to maintain their large three intact – particularly if this 12 months’s playoffs run
Before then, count on exercise within the commerce market. Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer wrote: “League sources say the Nets are one of the teams more actively looking for upgrades before the stretch run. Joe Harris ($18.6 million), Seth Curry ($8.5 million), and Patty Mills ($6.5 million) could be involved in trades because of their short-term salaries and the fact that they’ve been playing lesser roles lately.”
Nic Claxton’s fast rise has turned him into an important piece of their playoff puzzle. But he and Ben Simmons share a weak point from the free-throw line – each capturing within the 40 per cent vary – in addition to a poor capturing sport from past the arc.
More big-man depth may make an enormous distinction down the stretch, and names like Jakob Poeltl or John Collins have been thrown round, as has Myles Turner.
Otherwise, a wing like Bojan Bogdanovic may provide loads of worth. Whether the Nets have sufficient to supply is the large query – and given Simmons’ commerce worth has tumbled to this point, don’t count on him to be on the transfer.
