The Nets got their best glimpse so far of Ben Simmons’s potential on Wednesday night during the team’s preseason game against the Bucks. The former No. 1 pick played an effective 28 minutes, scoring seven points on 3-of-5 shooting with eight rebounds and 10 assists.
Before the outing, Simmons spoke out about the treatment he receives on social media, directly citing the mocking he received for a clip of him nonchalantly airballing a shot during a practice open to fans at Brooklyn Bridge Park this week.
“It finds me all the time,” Simmons told ESPN’s Nick Friedell. “And it doesn’t f—— stop. Sometimes I’m even sick of it, but then I’m like, ‘OK, I’m Ben Simmons, you know? It comes with being Ben Simmons right now.’
“Even the other day there was a clip of me airballing a shot at the park. Meanwhile, like 10 guys airballed multiple shots. So it’s like people will find one clip and try to make it that everything—like Ben can’t do [this or that]. Like come on man, you think I’m just airballing every shot? It’s not true. But it comes with it, and you got to have tough skin and I realize that, but nah, I can’t take everything personally. It’s social media.”
Even with that frustration, Simmons knows the negative attention stems from expectations others have for him. The 26-year-old, three-time All-Star says teaming up with two other superstars—and divisive online figures in their own right—in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving has helped him deal with the issues as well.
“Because people know what I can do, what I’m capable of,” Simmons said. “I believe that’s what it is. Like if I was somebody that wasn’t capable of doing certain things, I don’t think people would be on my ass as much. And I don’t mind it because it kind of motivates me in a way. Obviously, sometimes it’s a lot for anybody to deal with that, but I look at it a little bit like a respect thing, in a way.
“Because if that wasn’t the case then I wouldn’t have … there would be no upside to me doing something well. If I come out and play a great game then you can’t say anything, you know? But it’s a part of it. That’s why it’s kind of cool being on a team with these two guys [Durant and Irving] because they’ve been through different things in their careers, where they can kind of relate, because their names always— something’s going on with everybody’s name here. I take it for what it is.”
Even with the airball clip hounding him, Simmons may be coming out of his shell a bit as he prepares for his regular season Nets debut, after missing the balance of the season due to injury after his trade from the 76ers last season. Coach Steve Nash said he thought Simmons looked “more aggressive … more comfortable, more confident” against the Bucks, and was willing to take more risks on the court, something that was lacking towards the end of his time in Philadelphia.
“So I was proud of him,” Nash said. “I know it’s not that easy when you’ve been out that long.”
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