Nets’ Ben Simmons Disgruntled with NBA Officiating

After fouling out for the second time in three games, Brooklyn Nets’ Ben Simmons is apparently disgruntled with the officiating.

The Brooklyn Nets are off to a disappointing 1-2 start in the 2022-23 NBA season, and a part of their troubles is caused by Ben Simmons’ lack of production. Simmons has been underwhelming in his first few games for the Nets, as he is only tallying 5.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 0.7 blocks per game. He is still very tentative on offense, and he hasn’t been making much impact on the defensive end of the floor.

Moreover, Simmons is having difficulties battling foul troubles, with him fouling out in two of the three games that he played so far. The 6-foot-10 point forward has accumulated 14 fouls and only 17 points in three games, a concerning stat for him and the team. Simmons then aired his frustration following the Nets’ recent loss to Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies. Morant baited Simmons to a foul late in the fourth quarter, a call that the Nets furiously argued with the referees. Per an article by ESPN’s Nick Friedell, Simmons believes that the officials shouldn’t have called that a foul, citing how close and physical the game was in the final period.

It may or may not be a foul, but this is just one aspect of Ben Simmons’ troubles this season. The Nets brought him in for his two-way prowess and versatile skill set that allowed him to notch three straight All-Star appearances from 2019 to 2021. During the 2019-20 season, Simmons led the league in steals (2.1) while suiting up for the Philadelphia 76ers. This season, he is only averaging 0.3 steals across three contests.