News broke on Saturday that Ben Simmons’ highly anticipated debut for Brooklyn will be delayed due to a back injury. The news will be a blow for the Nets who have fallen down the Eastern Conference standings and are no longer heavy favorites to win an NBA championship.
Brooklyn head coach Steve Nash played down the severity of the injury, “It’s not a long-term thing. He hasn’t played a game since July. June? So I think that’s just a part of his process in returning to play. As you ramp-up, you’re a little bit susceptible to certain things, as you would be with muscle soreness or tightness.”
Serious or not, the setback has caused several NBA fans to raise their eyebrows. Simmons has a history of making excuses and this latest development certainly won’t inspire confidence amongst Nets fans.
No backbone
The body part concerned with the injury made Simmons an easy target for Redditors.
Scared to face the Sixers
Brooklyn play Philadelphia on March 10 and many believe the injury is a convenient excuse for Simmons to skip out on having to face the Sixers’ passionate fanbase.
More Nets drama
It’s been a drama-filled season off the court thanks to Simmons’ holdout and Kyrie Irving’s refusal to get vaccinated. It appears the drama won’t be subsiding any time soon.
Not a good look
Whatever Simmons says or does, fans aren’t going to be appeased until he returns to the court.