“He will not go out there & just go balls to the wall & play as hard as he can" – Former NBA champion exposes real issue with Ben Simmons, says Simmons needs to upgrade his mindset to be elite

Ben Simmons has struggled in his early games with the Brooklyn Nets. Former NBA champ Channing Frye believes Simmons' primary issue is his mindset.

It has not been all pleasant since Simmons returned to action after sitting out for a year. He has fouled out of two games and has not heavily contributed to their scoring.

On the "Road Trippin'" podcast, Frye spoke about how poorly the Nets are playing. He highlighted that Ben Simmons is not playing with any vigor and is more worried about not playing bad:

"He (Simmons) doesn't play like he has worked on his game at all. He doesn't play like he feels like he deserves to score or win. He's just out there because it's an obligation. It's how I feel, I don't know if that's true. I have rarely seen a player played more scared and more worried about what are people gonna think."

Frye continued:

"I'm looking at his eyes he does not even look at the rim. He has some emotional damage to being the best version of himself, and it not being up to standard. That's the honest truth. He will not go out there and just go balls to the wall and play as hard as he can and embrace the talent that he has that 99.9 of all players don't have.

"Because, 'What if I lose or what if I don't look good?' That's what it looks like to me. It's heartfelt but you have to be emotionally invested in every game, every shot, every possession to be elite."

Simmons earlier spoke about dealing with mental health issues following what transpired while he was with the Philadephia 76ers. Perhaps his confidence is still not at a level where he can be at his best on the court.

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How does Ben Simmons’ role affect Kyrie and KD’s scoring?

Kevin Durant (M) talks with Ben Simmons (L) and Kyrie Irving (R) of the Brooklyn Nets.

Ben Simmons was brought in as a facilitator and defensive anchor. Although he has been average, things might pick up considering he was inactive for over a year.

With Simmons doing more of the ball handling, there is less pressure on Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Scoring has become a tad easier for both superstars because they do not always have to create their shots.

However, Simmons' inability to shoot might still be a point of worry. Teams can comfortably double-team Irving and Durant knowing Simmons will hesitate to take the shot even when he is wide open.

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Kyrie Irving defends Simmons

Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets.

The media and fans continued to call out Ben Simmons for his deficiencies. Coming into the season, the Nets were considered contenders with Simmons on the floor, but they have not played like champions.

Although Irving and KD have pulled weight, many believe Simmons is falling short. However, Irving is not pleased with Simmons' slander and has spoken in defense of the Australian.

In a post-game presser, Irving said:

"You guys keep coming here asking me, 'What about Ben? What about Ben?' He hasn't played in two years, give him a f**king chance. ... We're just here to give him positive affirmations while he's out there and just let him hoop."

The Nets currently sit 13th in the Eastern Conference standings with a 1-4 record. Their next outing will be against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday.