Count Reggie Miller among those disappointed by the latest update concerning Ben Simmons.
The Basketball Hall of Famer and TNT analyst took to Twitter on Sunday to voice his displeasure with the injured Nets wingman after The Athletic reported Simmons would not play in Game 4 against the Celtics. Simmons, who has not played since last June, was widely expected to make his season debut on Monday night after making notable progress in his recovery from a back injury.
“Cmon MAN!!! Out for Game 4 when it was rumored you were going to make your debut. This dude has ZERO competitive [fire],” Miller tweeted. “… As small a chance as the Nets have to come back in this series, you still have KD and Kyrie, all you need is to win ONE game and take it from there.. #ManUp”
As Miller pointed out, Brooklyn faces a daunting 3–0 first-round series deficit after losing to Boston 109–103, in Game 3. The loss added to the mounting speculation regarding Simmons’ much-anticipated comeback, but the 25-year-old reportedly suffered a setback in the aftermath of Saturday night’s game.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the team altered its plans after Simmons awoke with back soreness on Sunday, leading to the mutual decision to keep the former All-Star sidelined ahead of what could be the team’s last game of the season.
With Simmons officially ruled out for yet another matchup, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will again be asked to shoulder the bulk of the workload as the Nets look to keep their season alive.
