The Brooklyn Nets still have one more season with Ben Simmons and have made quite some moves in the off-season. From trading Mikal Bridges to getting Zaire Williams, the Nets have decided to give the former Detroit Pistons guard a chance to redeem his NBA career with a one-year contract.
This transaction by the Nets may seem odd given the team’s current structure. Hayes, drafted No. 7 in the 2020 draft over Tyrese Haliburton, had a turbulent time with the Pistons. In 210 games, the French guard averaged 8.1 points, 5.2 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals. He also shot a dismal 38% from the field and 27% beyond the three-point arc.
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In his last season with the Pistons, Hayes’ numbers regressed under the lone season, with Coach Monty Williams doing only 6.8 points.
Having these numbers carried over in his Nets tenure, Hayes, a non-shooter and shot chucker given 10.7 attempts a night, will be teamed up with another player who had similar numbers last season in Ben Simmons.
On the other hand, the three-time NBA All-Star just suited up in 15 games for the Nets as he was revealed to have battled injuries. Since coming to the Nets, he has missed the entire 2021–22 season and played only 57 games in the last two. His numbers regressed compared to his days with the Philadelphia 76ers, averaging had only 6.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists with the Nets. His splits are at 57% from the field and 14.7 from the three-point line.
Brooklyn Nets’ Ben Simmons blamed for Joel Embiid’s lack of playoff success
The Philadelphia 76ers went through ‘The Process’ and in that time, they were able to identify their cornerstone pieces with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Both players boast a rare player archetype that NBA teams would like to have, but the Sixers didn’t have much success in the postseason.
Ranting on the thought that Joel Embiid could have been a basketball ‘GOAT’, ESPN personality and analyst Stephen A. Smith blames Ben Simmons for the Sixers underachieving expectations.
“Why Joel Embiid has yet to get to a Conference Finals or an NBA Finals and obviously not having won a championship? That damn Ben Simmons. I’ve had enough. I’m sure he’s a nice guy. I’m sure, Ben Simmons, hell of a player, couldn’t shoot but could do everything else,” said Smith. “Ben Simmons severely disrupted the Philadelphia 76ers franchise and the same can be said for what he has done for Brooklyn.”
Since leaving the Philadelphia 76ers, there were also high hopes for Ben Simmons joining an all-star cast with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in his first year with the team but injuries hampered the team from seeing all three together on the floor.
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