NBA analyst rants at Ben Simmons’ confidence leading to his minimal appearance in NBA games: “So overrated you can’t put him in the game

Before New York City's two NBA teams will face off for the first time this season, New York Knicks analyst Wally Szczerbiak put Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons on blast.

“Most overrated player is Ben Simmons," Szczerbiak said. "It’s not even close."

The former NBA player took aim at Simmons for not playing as well as his playoff performances when he was with the Philadelphia 76ers.

"The guy couldn’t even play in the playoffs two years ago," Szczerbiak said. "Then, he was scared to get on the court all of last year. The guy is scared to shoot. He’s the first pick in the NBA draft, and you can’t even get him on the basketball floor.”

It's no secret that Simmons has issues with shooting and is a very reluctant shooter. But while Simmons was a Sixer, he performed at a level that made him a three-time All-Star.

It is kind of unusual for an analyst of one team to have such strong opinions for a player on an opposing team. Speaking on the MSG Network on Monday night, Szczerbiak didn’t hold back on how he feels about Simmons. Szczerbiak’s critiques seem a bit harsh as he lays a lot of what’s happened with the Nets (4-7) this season at his feet.

“He’s supposed to be a good defender," Szczerbiak said. "He was playing for the Brooklyn Nets, and they were giving up 125 points per game and they got their coach (Steve Nash) fired because they couldn’t stop anybody.”

Szczerbiak is correct that the Nets have struggled on defense, but it seems excessive to put that all on Simmons. Simmons did not have a good game defensively in Brooklyn’s last outing against the Mavericks, allowing Luka Doncic to score 36 points in a 96-94 loss on Monday. Simmons came off the bench to record two points, three rebounds, two assists, one steals, two turnovers and three fouls in 16 minutes.

Brooklyn is 1-6 when Simmons plays, but 3-1 when he was out with a knee injury.

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Who was Wally Szczerbiak as a player?

Wally Szczerbiak was a 10-year NBA player who was drafted sixth by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1999. He starred at Miami of Ohio, where was named Mid-American Conference Player of the Year and a first-team All-American his senior year. He led the midmajor to a Sweet 16 appearance in 1999 and was elected to the MAC Hall of Fame in 2020.

Szczerbiak played for seven seasons in Minnesota and was named an All-Star in 2002. He was an effective scorer from the small forward position. After leaving the Timberwolves, he played for the Boston Celtics, Seattle Supersonics and Cleveland Cavaliers. His career was derailed by injuries. Despite those injuries, Szczerbiak had a career scoring average of 14.1 points per game.