The season of Ben Simmons is therefore finished. But really, had she really started? The Nets player has only played 15 small matches and 359 minutes during the current financial year.
Unfortunately, we are not surprised since he only played 42 games in 2022/23. So much so that the former Philadelphia player has only played 57 matches since his arrival in Brooklyn, out of a possible 192. Very little, especially for a player who received no less than 86 million dollars in this period of time. Or 1.5 million per match…
Work doesn't pay
Faced with this observation and this pinched nerve in the lower back, which causes pain in one leg, his agent Bernie Lee spoke at the beginning of the week to make amends.
“We continue to try to find solutions, without going through an operation, to allow him to progress regularly and that is my responsibility, so I am the one to blame,” he assured. “When I decided to work with him, I committed to finding him the right answers and the right specialists to move forward and put his problems behind him. Clearly that's not the case, it's my fault. »
Ben Simmons' concerns were obviously already present when the agent retrieved the file, in March 2023, after the player's departure from Klutch Sports. But as he had managed to get players out of a rut recently (Kris Dunn for example), we could hope that he would have the solutions. This is not the case at the moment.
“In the year I've been working with Ben, he hasn't taken more than seven days off. In almost twenty years, I have never seen anything like this”says Bernie Lee. “For him to do everything we ask of him and not reap the results, that doesn't suit me. I'm determined to find the right people and the answers, and we're going to do it. »
An offseason to finally find solutions
Ben Simmons (27 years old) has one season left on his contract, at $40.3 million, to finally get back on track. Because another shortened season would be terrible for the rest of his career, the franchises probably no longer wanting to bet on a player who is now incapable of playing more than a few matches.
“I hope his mentality is good. Being hurt is not pleasant at all. It takes a toll mentally so I hope it goes well, that he recovers quickly. It's hard. We don’t wish it on anyone,” comments Mikal Bridges. “Not being able to play, to sit down to watch the matches, it’s boring. We feel sorry for him,” adds Nic Claxton.
“I know there is a lot of emotion in him. He has already been there, he will prepare with his team, our medical staff and our franchise,” continues his coach Kevin Ollie. “We have empathy for him. I pray that he comes back healthy. I want him to believe in himself to come back and be the Ben Simmons we know he can be. »
This is Bernie Lee's plan. “During the offseason, we will put procedures in place and we will call on external stakeholders to allow him to move forward and resume his career at the level he had reached before his injury”warns the player's agent.
| Ben Simmons | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2017-18 | PHL | 81 | 34 | 54.5 | 0.0 | 56.0 | 1.8 | 6.4 | 8.1 | 8.2 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 0.9 | 15.8 |
| 2018-19 | PHL | 79 | 34 | 56.3 | 0.0 | 60.0 | 2.2 | 6.7 | 8.8 | 7.7 | 2.7 | 1.4 | 3.5 | 0.8 | 16.9 |
| 2019-20 | PHL | 57 | 35 | 58.0 | 28.6 | 62.1 | 2.0 | 5.8 | 7.8 | 8.0 | 3.3 | 2.1 | 3.5 | 0.6 | 16.4 |
| 2020-21 | PHL | 58 | 32 | 55.7 | 30.0 | 61.3 | 1.6 | 5.6 | 7.2 | 6.9 | 3.0 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 0.6 | 14.3 |
| 2022-23 | BRK | 42 | 26 | 56.6 | 0.0 | 43.9 | 1.0 | 5.3 | 6.3 | 6.1 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 6.9 |
| 2023-24 | BRK | 15 | 24 | 58.1 | 0.0 | 40.0 | 2.1 | 5.9 | 7.9 | 5.7 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 6.1 |
| Total | 332 | 33 | 56.0 | 13.9 | 58.9 | 1.8 | 6.0 | 7.8 | 7.4 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 3.2 | 0.7 | 14.4 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
