Getty Mikal Bridges #1 of the Brooklyn Nets.
Brooklyn Nets forward Ben Simmons has not played since before the All-Star break and now has been ruled out for the remainder of the season. Since being traded to Brooklyn in exchange for James Harden in February 2022, he has appeared in just 42 games. Simmons’ lack of availability since his arrival has left many people feeling uneasy, especially as a max contract player.
The latest plaintiff is NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal. The “Inside the NBA” host took to social media and posted a graphic that showed newly acquired Nets starter Mikal Bridges has scored more points in the month of March alone than Simmons has in his almost 14 months with the team.
@SHAQ is firing shots and @BenSimmons25 is the target!!!🥵🥵🥵 Shoutout @mikal_bridges though! 🔥🔥🔥
Since coming over from the Phoenix Suns in the Kevin Durant trade, Bridges is averaging 26.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He has scored 392 points in March and 535 points in the 20 games he has played since the February 9 trade. Meanwhile, Simmons has scored 291 points in 42 games, for an average of 6.9 points per game.
Now, Simmons will miss the rest of the season with a back injury, head coach Jacque Vaughn said on March 27.
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Mikal Bridges Sounds Off on Disappointing Loss
Bridges has had some of the best performances of his young career since being traded to the Nets. He scored a career-high 45 points in a win over the Miami Heat in February and nearly eclipsed that in the Nets’ March 26 outing against the Orlando Magic, scoring 44 points. However, Bridges’ outburst against Orlando came in a losing effort in a game the Nets needed badly to maintain their hold on the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference standings.
The loss was especially surprising after the Nets trounced a more talented Heat team by 30 points the previous night. While Bridges credited the Magic for securing the win, he said he believed playing a back-to-back affected the game’s outcome.
“I mean yeah, there’s a lot of excuses in the world, but that’s definitely one. Just the traveling and not having 24 hours before and having a tough game in Miami,” Bridges said after the loss. “Give credit to Orlando, too, they’ve been playing well. I know they’ve been not winning all their games, but they’ve been playing well. … They just played harder than us.
Vaughn said the loss taught the Nets a lesson.
“We didn’t make shots if you want to boil it down to one particular thing. Besides Mikal, we were 2-for-26 from 3. So, we were searching, trying to find ways to score the basketball,” Vaughn said.“I’m not an excuse guy, guys gave what they had across the board. Tough back-to-back, a lot of learning lessons.”
Nets Urged to Cut Ties With Ben Simmons
The Nets had a plan when they made the deal for Simmons. But that plan was contingent on keeping Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn for the long haul.
With Irving and Durant now in different uniforms, the entire trajectory of the Nets’ future has changed, and Simmons’ skillset might not fit on the current roster. Brett Siegel of Sports Illustrated wrote that it was time for both parties to move on.
“At this point, with the Nets going in a different direction as a franchise with the departures of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, it only makes sense that they find a way to get out of Ben Simmons’ contract. Not only is he taking up money and space on this roster from others who can contribute at a higher level, but mentally, Simmons is in no capacity to play on one of the league’s biggest stages in New York City,” Siegel wrote in a story published March 27.
“Not only is Ben Simmons’ future with the Brooklyn Nets in doubt, but his immediate NBA future is certainly a question mark.”