Adrian Wojnarowski outlines the under lying issue with Ben Simmons on Nets: “Ben Simmons has been a source of frustration for Kevin Durant, for others on the Nets so far”

Ben Simmons has continued to struggle this season. In the team's first game, many hoped to see Simmons begin a revenge tour after sitting out last season. Unfortunately for the Brooklyn Nets, Simmons fouled out while posting a -26 +/- rating.

It marked the beginning of what has been a rough season so far for the three-time All-Star. In just six games, Simmons has fouled out twice. Add onto that below-average per-game stats this season and it's no surprise the Nets are just 2-6 to start their campaign.

Fortunately for Simmons, his below-average play has continued to fly under the radar. Nets star Kyrie Irving has continued to dominate the headlines recently for his controversial reposting on social media. With Irving suspended for at least five games, the burden will fall on Kevin Durant to keep things going while Simmons sits out with knee soreness.

The way NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski sees things, Ben Simmons' poor play only adds stress in Brooklyn:

“Ben Simmons has been a source of frustration for Kevin Durant, for others on the Nets so far. Because he has been unable to stay on the floor but prior to that, he has shown that he's a long way away from being back to an impactful player."

The comments came on Friday morning's episode of SportsCenter. Interestingly enough, they came just one day after Wojnarowski said that the Nets could decide to trade Ben Simmons for a perimeter shooter. Since then, however, it has been Kyrie Irving who has dominated the headlines.

Ben Simmons, Kyrie Irving, and where do the Brooklyn Nets go from here

Dallas Mavericks vs. Brooklyn Nets.

With Ben Simmons playing poorly, Kyrie Irving suspended, Kevin Durant frustrated and Steve Nash no longer being their coach, the Nets' season is off to a rocky start. As it stands right now, the raging question is whether or not Irving will complete the necessary steps to rejoin the Nets.

At the same time, the Nets brass are also searching for a new coach after agreeing to part ways with Nash earlier this week. Things are up in the air for the franchise right now, to say the least. Will the franchise look to trade Simmons sooner rather than later? Or will they bank on a new coach getting this group back on track?

These are all questions that have continued to perplex the NBA community and dominate basketball talk in recent days. Going into this season, analysts were predicting that the Nets could come out of the Eastern Conference.

If Simmons' knee soreness continues to plague the young star, the Nets could have limited opportunities to trade him. In addition to his lingering knee problems, it has been reported that Simmons seems relieved when he fouls out of games. The pressure of living up to expectations and his knee injury could both be holding Simmons back.

According to reports, Simmons won't be traveling with the team for their back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday. Stay tuned for updates as they become available.