The Brooklyn Nets are reportedly frustrated with point guard Ben Simmons early on in the 2022-23 season amid his struggles. While he's not making the impact many would've hoped on the floor, he's also missed time with a knee injury, which has left many people skeptical.
But, it appears Simmons is telling the truth. He's had to get numerous injections in his swollen knee and made it very clear: This is a real issue he's dealing with.
“You’re obviously not gonna be happy when anybody’s out,” Ben 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.”
There have been questions about Simmons' passion for the game. He looks timid and isn't showing the same aggressiveness as before his lengthy absence when he dealt with mental problems and a back issue. Simmons is averaging just 5.8 points, 5.6 assists, and 6.1 rebounds per night for Brooklyn, all career lows.
But, as Simmons put it, he's truly been put through the wringer when it comes to injuries.
“There’s only so much I can really do (about perception),” Ben 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 his back). 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. There’s times when I couldn’t walk. I had a dead foot. Couldn’t sleep. A lot of stuff was going on with me, physically, to where it was tough. But there’s only so much I can say for somebody to believe, you know?”
None of us knew those details. On a more positive note, Simmons looked a lot better in the blowout loss to the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, scoring 11 points, grabbing five boards, and dishing out three dimes. It was always going to take some time for him to feel comfortable again. Hopefully, he can start making more of an impact soon here because the Nets need it.
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