Meanwhile, Simmons is now officially a Brooklyn Nets point guard. But with their debuts still on the line, the league and all its affiliates are still buzzing with prophecies and predictions over the performance of the two. Although James Harden is expected to make an appearance in the Sixers uniform on Friday, Ben Simmons won’t debut for Brooklyn in the coming week.
With the timeline for their debut nearing, Stephen A. Smith sat down with former Chicago Bulls player Jay Williams on “First Take” to discuss their expectations with the stars. Williams confidently shared his belief that Simmons has a lot on the line and will be under immense pressure to perform.
Williams followed on by pointing out that no one would ever call James Harden a bum, whereas people constantly questioned Simmons’ ability and toughness.
Ben Simmons and James Harden are two of the most heavily scrutinized players in the league
There is obvious reason for the scrutiny and criticism that has followed both Harden and Simmons. Even the comparisons being drawn between the two are justified considering they switched places in Brooklyn and Philadelphia. However, it is also true that there will definitely be more pressure on Simmons to prove his worth in Brooklyn.
For one, Harden has already played 44 games this season and is averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 assists and 8.0 rebounds. His separation from the Nets, although messy, wasn’t a half-year-long tussle between the team and him. Whereas Simmons and Philadelphia parted ways on extremely sour terms.
The Australian is yet to play a single game, and his 2021 playoffs fiasco is still fresh in the public’s mind. No one has really forgotten his failure as a shooter or his public demands to leave the team. Jay Williams’ observation is sound, there is indeed far more pressure on Simmons than Harden at the moment.
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