It's unfathomable just how far Brooklyn Nets forward (or guard… maybe even center?) Ben Simmons' stock has fallen after being drafted first overall in the 2016 NBA Draft. Simmons has caught some considerable flak in recent years for appearing to not have improved on his game, especially offensively, despite being an all-world defender and playmaker (especially in transition).

And in the Nets' latest clash against the Mavs, Simmons' struggles with scoring the basketball reared its ugly head once more.

With three or so minutes left in the first quarter, Ben Simmons ran an offensive set that saw Kevin Durant come off a screen and onto the high post. Simmons saw an opening and cut towards the rim as Maxi Kleber dozed off.

Durant then made a smart pass to Simmons, and with Luka Doncic and Christian Wood late to help on the rim, it seemed as if Simmons had an easy two points right at the hoop. But nothing comes easy for Simmons at the moment. His layup attempt came up way short, airballing a shot from three feet out, and to add insult to injury, he ended up tipping the ball out of bounds off his miss.

And of course, NBA Twitter let Ben Simmons hear it after yet another embarrassing play that does nothing but add fuel to the fiery criticisms Simmons has been receiving.

https://twitter.com/Ant2Sexy/status/1585784653117808641?s=20&t=G9upHRO3z0X9MsQdfo6Yqg

https://twitter.com/CrisCBurner/status/1585784230574841856?s=20&t=9676S_RsEHnD2F41IflPlw

https://twitter.com/atexvmi/status/1585783791884599296

One Twitter user even joked about Simmons' alleged poor work ethic, calling out the seventh-year forward's love for first-person shooter video games, where he might even be a better shooter than in real life.

It has just gone downhill for Simmons ever since the Sixers' confounding loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the 2021 playoffs. Fans will never forget the moment when Simmons, after shedding his primary defender on the block en route to what should have been a dunk over the “vaunted” rim protection of Trae Young, decided to drop the ball off to Matisse Thybulle instead.

Ben Simmons' hesitation to shoot from beyond the arc has always been called out by pundits and fans, but he's always made up for it with his ferocious finishing at the rim. But after a well-documented struggle with nailing foul shots during that fateful postseason, it seems as if Simmons has lost all confidence in his scoring ability.

The Nets will hope that Ben Simmons regains his self-belief soon, as they try to climb out of the 1-4 hole they're in following a 125-129 loss to the Mavs in overtime.