It is no secret that NBA superstar Ben Simmons is not a fan favorite. In the last couple of years, Simmons has been involved in issues relating to his playing time. Although he had a successful start to life in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers by winning the Rookie of the Year award. Then his fall from grace began.

Simmons is arguably not a scoring machine but he could do it all. He is likely one of the best defenders in the league and could rack his rebounds with ease. He could also assist his teammates with his crisp passing.

Things were going well for the All-Star in Philly. But things went south in the 2020-21 playoffs when he passed up on an open dunk. It was in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semi-finals against the Atlanta Hawks. And there were less than four minutes left in regulation. And the #1 seeded 76ers lost to the #5 seeded Hawks.

“I’m 6’10, I Can Make Any F*cking Pass”: Ben Simmons, Who Once DM’d Shaquille O’Neal After Criticism, Had Supreme Confidence in Front of Ex-76ers Star

So fans were not impressed. Also, head coach Doc Rivers’ and superstar Joel Embiid‘s comments did not sit well with Ben Simmons.

Ben Simmons or Russell Westbrook?

Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers went through issues with his pay as well. So he became public enemy #1. He was then traded to the Brooklyn Nets to join superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. However, he did not play a single minute for the Nets in the playoffs. And the Nets were subsequently swept in the first round by the Boston Celtics. And he received a lot of backlash for not suiting up for the Nets as well.

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In one instance, when Simmons was in the mall, a fan called him Russell Westbrook. Recently, Simmons talked about it during a podcast with former star JJ Redick. Simmons said, “Oh, man! That was so unnecessary too. Because I was just trying to get some f*****g candy man! Like, I was having a good day in the mall. Got some hair products from Sephora. And then went to get some candy. And this guy came out of f*****g nowhere.” 

Former MVP Russell Westbrook is another superstar who has had a hard fall from grace recently. He was racking triple-doubles for fun and breaking records. Then he had a poor season for the Los Angeles Lakers last season.

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Given his size, ability, and relatively young age, Simmons was expected to be better and perhaps be the face of the league. However, the last couple of seasons have not been helpful. It will be interesting to see how he and the Nets perform in the upcoming season.

Do you think Simmons will have a successful season and shut his doubters up? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.