Charles Barkley is starting to wonder if Ben Simmons already is falling out of favor in Brooklyn.
Reports surfaced last week indicating Simmons, who hasn't played in an NBA game since last June, was gearing up to make his Nets debut in Game 4 of Brooklyn's first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics. Simmons, however, will not play Monday night at Barclays Center, as he reportedly woke up with back soreness Sunday.
Given how the Nets-Celtics series has played out thus far, there's a good chance we won't see Simmons on the court until the start of the 2022-23 season. And as the three-time All-Star continues to stay on the sideline, Barkley can't help but question Simmons' passion for the game.
"I don't care about the fans. They're important and significant. I want to make that clear. Fans are important and significant," Barkley said Sunday on TNT. "But let me tell you something: When the players don't respect you, that's a big deal. When the players say, 'We can't count on this dude.' Like, fans, they're gonna come and go when things are good and bad and I love the fans. But Ben is getting to the point now where your teammates are like, 'Yo, man, does this dude wanna play basketball?'
"It clearly happened in Philly and now it's happening (in Brooklyn). Like, 'Yo, man, we need something. We need something.' Remember they were saying, like, he's going to give us 20 minutes? Yo, man, try to give me 20 minutes. If you go out there and you can't play, we're like, 'Hey, man, thanks for trying.'"
The Nets better hope Simmons can regain his old form starting next season. The 25-year-old is under contract through the 2024-25 campaign and is owed $113.6 million over the next three seasons.
