Ben Simmons Finally Plays, but the Nets Lose

The silver lining of an off-season that threatened the team’s stability was that the Nets were returning with two of the best players in the game and a third more talented than most in the league.

All that’s left is for them to prove they can actually do this.

Wednesday’s game offered an inauspicious start to that quest. The Nets trailed the Pelicans by as many as 26 points and were outscored by 36-4 on second-chance points, a symptom of inconsistent effort.

“The same plays that demoralize the fans at home, demoralize us as players,” Irving said.

Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, like Simmons, returned after missing all of last season, in his case with a foot injury. He looked less rusty than Simmons did, scoring 25 points, and New Orleans took advantage of his play.

“I think they beat us in every category tonight,” Nash said. “Clearly, we started the game a little hectic, a little bit rattled to start the year. Sometimes that’s normal. First night out excitement. New group. It was a little clunky at times.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/20/sports/basketball/nets-ben-simmons-pelicans.html