Ben Simmons‘ output for the Brooklyn Nets has been a mixed bag since the new season started.
At times, he is part of wonderful steals and assists, as he showed Thursday night.
At other times, he makes bone-headed moves that leave fans cringing, as he also showed Thursday night.
Ben Simmons air-balled this layup 😬 pic.twitter.com/kWaNsRsjPt
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 28, 2022
Toward the start of the game against the Dallas Mavericks, Simmons went into the paint for what should have been an easy layup.
Instead, he missed the bucket and looked downright embarrassed afterward.
No one is going to be perfect all of the time and mistakes like these happen to everyone.
But it emphasized and highlighted concerns that already exist about Simmons.
Worried About Simmons
Simmons still doesn’t feel like his vintage self yet.
He is overly cautious on the court and not willing to venture out of his comfort zone.
When he does, he often has moments like the one we see above.
It seems clear that Simmons is lacking self-confidence and, after the last year he’s experienced, you can’t really blame him.
But he needs to take a step back, get his head on straight, and push himself because he still shows flashes of brilliance.
If he can develop these moments and enhance his skills he could be an All-Star yet again.
He should be focused on the good moments, not the bad like the one he experienced on Thursday night.
The Nets were expecting a lot from Simmons when they signed him last season.
So far, he hasn’t delivered but there is a chance that he still will.
To do that, he will have to get out of his own head.
NEXT: NBA Analyst Raised Troubling Questions About Ben Simmons