A new day always brings new opportunities. And if you’re associated with the Nets, it’s another chance to show you’re fed up with Ben Simmons’ lack of durability. At least, that’s what it seems like head coach Jacque Vaughn did in his postgame press conference on Thursday night.
After losing in Philadelphia against the 76ers on Wednesday, Brooklyn came home to host the Detroit Pistons on the second part of a back-to-back. Despite a 40-point effort from Kyrie Irving, the Nets lost their second game in a row.
During the Philly game, Simmons didn’t play most of the fourth quarter, which was Vaughn’s decision. Simmons also didn’t finish Thursday night’s game because of left knee soreness. He dished out a team-high seven assists, but collected one rebound and went scoreless (while taking just three shots) in 20 minutes before making his exit.
Upon sitting down with the media after that loss, here’s what Vaughn had to say about it:
Nets coach Jacque Vaughn appears frustrated by Ben Simmons and his injury troubles pic.twitter.com/VkzdueJ1OF
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) January 27, 2023
There looks to be a noticeable eye roll after mentioning Simmons’ injury. But of course, we don’t get the full context of the question asked before that. Could that have been in reference to something else? Maybe, but how Vaughn elaborated about players being ready for action makes it seem like he’s fed up with Simmons.
It’s the second time this season Simmons has had a leg issue in the second half of a back-to-back. But between that and the below play being his last on Thursday night, it’s easy to see the frustration.
This mfer Ben Simmons really took himself to the locker room & left the game for this hit? No wonder KD cant even look him in the eye. Soft#NetsWorld pic.twitter.com/lIDiNIkuag
— Jeri Tsai (@JeriTsaiNets) January 27, 2023
Look, nobody likes getting hit in the face, even if it’s just a graze. But it’s curious as to why this was the last straw for him leaving the game with reported knee soreness. No wonder he’s an easy target to poke fun at on the Twitter machine, right?
It’s important for players to listen to their bodies when they’re not 100%. Playing with an injury can only make things worse down the road. However, there have to be plenty of players dealing with soreness on a nightly basis, especially back-to-backs. It looks like Vaughn is fed up with it and wants his players prepared to stay on the court as much as possible.
Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
