Nets' Ben Simmons Discusses Breaking 'Really Ugly' Slump: 'I Was Playing Like S--t'
Ben Simmons has had a rough start to the 2022-23 season, fouling out of two of his first three games and generally struggling to find any sort of scoring rhythm.
He acknowledged Wednesday that it hasn't been pretty.
"There's gonna be times where it's really ugly, like the other night for me," Simmons told reporters. "I've had a couple of games I was playing like s--t."
To start the season, Simmons is averaging just 5.7 points and attempting only 4.3 shots per game, though he has added 7.0 assists and 6.0 rebounds per contest.
And while he provides excellent and versatile defense, the biggest concern has been his inability to finish games due to fouling out.
His own frustration boiled over in his postgame comments following Monday's 134-124 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, in which he fouled out with 3:52 remaining in the game after making contact with Ja Morant as he picked up the ball after letting it run on the floor.
Simmons told reporters:
"I just saw the play. It wasn't a foul. [Official J.T. Orr] called it a foul, made a mistake, it is what it is ... it's really frustrating ... it's not a foul, but it was bulls--t. It's frustrating because it's late game, fourth quarter, it's a physical, close game. It's the NBA. It's not college. It's not high school. Some people are going to get hit, some people bleed; it's basketball."
Morant, to his credit, said he baited Simmons into getting the foul:
"If y'all want to go dig up a play, I think my rookie year I was in Philly—and the same situation happened like that versus Ben in the first half. I went to look at coach to get the play, and [Simmons] ran through the ball, got the steal and went to dunk. ... I knew it at that moment. Once I seen him and I was rolling the ball and I was at half [court], I looked at coach and I see him try to like, 'Oh yeah.' So I knew I had him. He was going to press up, and I was just going to force the ref to make the call."
As for Simmons, some rust is to be expected after he didn't play at all last season, the second full campaign he's missed in his career.
He's also playing with a new team after spending the entirety of his career with the Philadelphia 76ers before last season's trade, and there are some questions as to whether pairing him with a center such as Nic Claxton in the starting lineup—who offers no floor-spacing, similar to Simmons—is an ideal way to maximize his ability.
Regardless, Simmons needs to be better. He at least recognizes as much.
