"I might as well be fishing"- Ben Simmons expresses strong desire to be "better" than All-Star level

After a season where he just played 42 games, Ben Simmons is looking to bounce back better than ever. “Big Ben” had a nightmarish 2022-23 season, hitting career-lows in points, rebounds, assists, steals and minutes played. To say that he was a shell of his former All-Star self was simply an understatement. Some were even convinced that the Brooklyn Nets were eventually going to waive him.

The Australian, though, hasn’t stopped betting on himself. After a horrible season, he sees no way to go but up. Brooklyn’s point forward doesn’t just want to improve, he wants to be dominant.

In a recent interview with Esquire, he had this to say about what he hopes to achieve next season:

“I want to be back where I was. I want to be an All-Star. I want to be better than an All-Star. That’s where I want to be. I never try to live with myself. I’m never like, ‘Well, hopefully, maybe I get a couple of votes in an All-Star game.’ Nah, if that’s the case, I might as well be fishing.”

Ben Simmons can’t blame basketball fans if they’re in disbelief with his latest comments. They are probably thinking that he might as well have gone fishing the entire 2022-23 season due to his often inept performances.

Over the past two offseasons, Simmons' return to his All-Star self has been hyped on social media. The results have just not met the propaganda. He looked far worse than he’s ever been.

“Big Ben,” in the same interview gave the reason why he couldn’t do as expected:

“When I was out there knowing I wasn’t healthy, I wasn’t confident in my body at all. When you’re getting hit, you’re getting pushed, and you can’t turn certain ways, you’re not even really thinking about the basketball game."

Ben Simmons suffered a long list of injuries last season. He had back, knee and groin issues. There was also the mental aspect of things, which he said he has consistently been working on. Basketball fans will likely be in a wait-and-see mode before taking Simmons’ comments seriously.

---

Ben Simmons claims he’s healthy now and ready to reignite his All-Star form

Ben Simmons was criticized last season by NBA fans for his total lack of confidence. On numerous occasions, he wouldn’t even dare to look at the rim. Sometimes, he would rush his shot or simply give up on a play.

According to the Brooklyn Nets star, getting back his health was all he needed to return to his former All-NBA form. He claimed to have tried what others told him to do and it all failed. This offseason, he went about doing things his way and has finally reached his goal.

“I feel amazing. Now versus how I was playing last season, it’s night and day. Being able to go through a whole session; play, get hit, get up, sprint, dunk, do all these things and then be able to walk perfectly normal and feel like nothing happened is the best thing I’ve been able to experience in the last four or five months.”

Proof of what Ben Simmons said will be based on his performance. Basketball fans can’t wait for him to back up his claims.