When the Brooklyn Nets acquired Ben Simmons from the Philadelphia 76ers back on Feb. 10, the expectation was that he would eventually play for them and overcome the mental problems that were hindering him during his time in Philadelphia.
Soon after, Simmons began experiencing back pain and that was something that was holding off a potential debut for him all throughout the season. He even took an epidural shot in mid-March and there was then hope that he could make his playoff debut in Round 1 of their playoff series with the Boston Celtics.
The real expectation was that Simmons would make his debut in Game 4 on Monday with the Nets facing elimination. However, he was then ruled out, and per Shams Charania of The Atheltic and The Stadium, that caused a lot of frustration within the organization and it led to a meeting with agent Rich Paul:
Everyone around the Nets organization had been given the impression that Simmons had zeroed in on Monday’s Game 4 as his debut date, and the franchise certainly was left searching for answers because of his inability to step on the floor in Brooklyn and what transpired in the first round.
Sunday’s events triggered frustration and disheartenment throughout the organization, multiple sources said. The fallout of Simmons being ruled out Sunday led to a meeting among franchise officials, Simmons and his agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, on Monday in Brooklyn. According to sources, Simmons told those in the room that a mental block exists for him, dating in part to last summer’s postseason, which is creating stress that could serve as a trigger point for his back issues. He added that he does want to play basketball and play for the Nets as he works on solutions in regard to his well-being.
The Nets now face a very important summer for their organization. This is now two years with Kevin Durant where they failed to deliver a championship and it seemed as if Brooklyn was doomed from the start with the Kyrie Irving issues and then the Simmons drama.
This post originally appeared on Nets Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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