Nets growing frustrated with Ben Simmons — and he appears to understand their concerns

Just days before his Philly return, Ben Simmons, once a shining star for the 76ers, is speaking candidly about common refrains that have painted his career in recent years.

Speaking with The Athletic, Simmons addressed the frustrations mounting within the Brooklyn Nets franchise, acknowledging their legitimate gripes and adding context.

Simmons was traded to the Nets at last year’s deadline in a deal that sent James Harden to Philly, but he never touched the floor during the 2021-22 season. Through it all, the Nets supported him and reserved judgment, sidelining their expectations for Simmons until the 2022-23 campaign.

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Now that the time is here and Simmons isn’t delivering — he has averaged 5.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists in 10 appearances — that chorus in Brooklyn is growing louder.

“You’re obviously not gonna be happy when anybody’s out,” Simmons told The Athletic. “But for me, I’ve been dealing with the knee since the start of the season. It’s been swollen. I had PRP [injections]. I had blood drained a couple times. So it’s not a made-up thing, you know? It’s a real thing.

“I get [the skepticism], but I think the one thing with me is that I’m a competitor. I want to win and play. So I’m gonna do what I can to get out there.”

As has been the case the last two years, injuries are somewhat to blame for Simmons’ inability to perform at his usual clip. Simmons, who was hampered by a back injury in Philly, told The Athletic that a left knee injury has slowed his progress on the court this year.

“Yeah [the knee is a bigger problem than the back], which is good. And that’s one thing with the league. You’ll be starting to have some [trouble] with one thing and then you’re thinking about your ankle or your leg or whatever it is. That’s gonna happen, but getting it under control is the most important part for me.”

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Simmons discussed the critiques that follow him nowadays, much of which started toward the end of his tenure with the Sixers. With detractors in mind, he detailed moments of struggle and his fight to overcome them.

“There’s only so much I can really do [about perception],” Simmons said. “You can’t make people believe, you know? They weren’t there when I was on the floor and couldn’t walk [because of a back injury]. They weren’t there when I was in the ambulance getting taken to the hospital [after a Feb. 22, 2020, game at Milwaukee]. People weren’t there, so they don’t know. That was the first episode I had against Milwaukee. That was the original trigger of it … right before COVID, the start of my back issues. But that’s a part of my journey.”