Any mention of Ben Simmons or the Brooklyn Nets and the talking heads go viral. However, all scrutiny seems to sway one way. But what if someone pointed the finger at the organization and team of agents for fumbling the narrative?
For as long as anyone could recall, every NBA season starts with a select group pegged as heroes, villains, and underdogs. And like Marvel movies, the media paints a compelling picture for each one of them. The difference is that the league sticks with these stories until everyone gets nauseated hearing them.
From the Los Angeles Lakers disaster to Kyrie Irving, Simmons, and the Nets, they have all been some part of the running theme from the preseason to the postseason. Think about it. A team that did not make the playoffs, one that was swept in the first round, and a player who never suited up this season are still the storylines.
This begs a question surrounding the latter; has a bad back been this polarizing in the playoffs since Scottie Pippen’s?
Ben Simmons doesn’t deserve all the blame for his situation
Ever since losing in last year’s Eastern Conference Semifinals, Ben Simmons has become media fodder due to the decisions of himself and possibly others.
The latest part of Simmons’ saga has been put on pause with the announcement of his successful microdiscectomy surgery. However, instead of pundits taking a minute to step back and acknowledge the excessiveness of some of their comments, they either stayed quiet or decided to double down on the jokes.
None of this is to say that some of Simmons’ actions did not place him in the wrong, but the slander-for-entertainment model sometimes crossed the line. From mental health jokes to fake injury insinuations, the criticism became so foolish that it trickled down to him wearing bright-colored clothes and having the audacity to sit on the bench.
The very same position on the sidelines that he was called out for not sitting on in Philadelphia to support his teammates… even after he made it known that he wanted out. Blatantly contradictory statements.
Does anyone find it strange that the entire blame has fallen on the person who has hardly spoken during the ordeal? Namely, after the realization that Simmons’ first-round status was fed to the media before the Play-In Tournament even tipped off. Not before the playoffs, before the Play-In Tournament, and right after reports came out that he would not be available until the later rounds.
The news either came from the chatty Nets organization or was leaked to the preferred reporter in a sloppy Klutch Sports management move. Whichever side is responsible inadvertently placed Simmons in the line of fire instead of protecting him.
And although very few want to admit it, that news should have never been put out there to begin with, and it should have been squashed by more people than Kevin Durant. That’s something a more tightlipped organization would have done.
All the stories did were plant a seed that raised everyone’s hopes and, in turn, left Simmons open to skepticism once he reported a pain roadblock before the Nets’ Game 4 loss. Again, eating the liability.