“I see it a bit as a matter of respect, in a way”

In a few days Ben Simmons will make its official return to competition after a white season and a long soap opera. He has not yet played his first official game with the Nets that there is a subject that is already constantly on the table: his shot. Will he finally shoot from afar, and behind the arc, he who has taken only 34 shots from behind the arc since the start of his career for 5 successes. Even more than a poor shooter, he is cataloged as a player who simply does not know how to shoot. Asked about his criticisms, Ben Simmons said:

“They’re going to say that no matter what. Even if I get a shot, what will they say? ‘Which I still can’t.’ Fuck, I can’t make everybody happy, you know? …It’s like asking if Giannis [Antetokounmpo] can shoot? Can he? Said Ben Simmons

Giannis has worked hard on his shoot and progressed in the field. He no longer hesitates to confidently take outside shots, despite a more than suspicious address. As for Simmons, we have seen absolutely no progress since his arrival in the league.

“Yeah, he shoots better,” Simmons conceded of Giannis. “But what’s the problem? Is it not taking as many shots as people want? Is it not to succeed in all the shots? Fans are always going to have something to complain about. And they’re probably like, ‘Yo, I can get inside his head doing this because I know this is something people are always talking about.’ But at the same time, people say, ‘Ben can do great things,’ so…”

And he admits having a hard time managing these incessant criticisms of his shoot.

“We find it all the time. And it never stops. Sometimes I even get sick of it, but I’m like, ‘OK, but I’m Ben Simmons,’ you know what I mean? The other day there was a clip of me taking in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Whereas there were like 10 guys who did several air balls. So it’s like people are always going to find an action and make a whole thing out of it: like Ben Simmons can’t do this or that. You think I swing airballs with every shot? It’s not true. But you have to be tough and I realize that, but I can’t take everything personally. These are social networks.

When asked why he thinks there is so much criticism about him, he explains:

“Because people know what I can do, what I’m capable of,” said Ben Simmons. “I think that’s it. If I was someone who wasn’t able to do certain things, I don’t think people would be on my back so much. And it doesn’t bother me because it motivates me in a way. Obviously, it’s sometimes difficult for someone to deal with that, but I see it as a matter of respect, in a way. Because if it wasn’t, it means I wouldn’t have the potential to do better. If I go out there and play a great game, then you can’t say anything. That’s why it’s kind of cool to be on a team with Kevin and Kyrie because they’ve been through different things in their careers, and they can put themselves in my shoes. »

Via ESPN