The Brooklyn Nets didn’t get a good return for their star players.
Mikal Bridges is an outstanding defender and has proven to be a serviceable scorer as well, but he might not be a No. 1 option on a winning team.
Also, getting Ben Simmons in return for James Harden may have only caused more problems than solutions.
According to a report by Mike Scotto of HoopsHype, several players weren’t exactly thrilled about the fact that coach Jacque Vaughn had developed his game plan around the former No. 1 pick (via NBA Central).
“Behind the scenes, there were rumblings about players, including Mikal Bridges, Spencer Dinwiddie when he was on the team and others who weren’t thrilled with Jacque Vaughn’s game plans centering around Ben Simmons,” Scotto said.
Mikal Bridges and Spencer Dinwiddie reportedly were not 'thrilled' with Jacque Vaughn's decision to center his game plan around Ben Simmons, per @MikeAScotto
“Behind the scenes, there were rumblings about players, including Mikal Bridges, Spencer Dinwiddie when he was on the… pic.twitter.com/zKoZpbsPxC
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 21, 2024
Apparently, Spencer Dinwiddie and Mikal Bridges resented that, and there were some rumblings in the locker room.
Truth be told, that made perfect sense.
Simmons has yet to earn his stripes in Brooklyn, and centering a game plan on a player who’s rarely available makes little to no sense.
Of course, no one can deny Simmons’ physical attributes and skills when healthy, but that seldom happens.
On top of that, Simmons has been heavily criticized for his lack of aggressiveness and how he can be easily taken away from games mentally, which was the beginning of his downfall in Philadelphia.
Simmons has been barely able to play since he left the City of Brotherly Love, and he has been far from spectacular when healthy.
No one denies that he could be an outstanding contributor on both ends of the floor, but making him the focal point of the team pretty much set them up for failure, and Vaughn isn’t even there anymore.
NEXT: Mikal Bridges Makes Clear Statement On Future With Nets