Brooklyn Nets forward Ben Simmons is an anomaly.
In 2016, Simmons entered the NBA as the No. 1 overall pick out of LSU and dazzled people with his guard skills in a 6-foot-6 frame. Some of those skills translated, but as his career progressed, he stagnated.
Bleacher Report reporter Grant Hughes named Simmons the most overrated player of the past five years, after former Nets guard James Harden, who now plays for the Los Angeles Clippers.
“It’s easy to understand the appeal of the 28-year-old. There aren’t many 6-foot-2 point guards who can defend multiple positions and single-handedly power a team’s transition attack. But the flaws — shooting, competitiveness, durability of assists, too — have always been there,” Hughes writes“If there’s a simple definition of ‘overrated,’ it has to be something like ‘not as good as people seem to think.’ That’s the case with Simmons, whose once-elite production has still convinced many observers that he can be what he once was.”
Simmons has one year left on his contract with the Nets before the two sides part ways. However, with Brooklyn’s expectations being very low to non-existent, we could perhaps see some flashes of Simmons this upcoming season. That being said, Brooklyn will likely prioritize its youth and pay Simmons $40.3 million to sit him out for another year.
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