Someone in Brooklyn just threw in the towel. Might've been Ben Simmons. Could've been Steve Nash and other Nets basketball ops people. Honestly could've been Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving — wouldn't be the first major decision they've had a hand in since they got to Brooklyn.
Whoever made the call clearly has no faith in this team. Because if they thought a comeback against the Celtics was possible, Simmons would play in some capacity on Monday. But that will not be the case.
Now, all of New England may see the writing on the wall. But when you have the supposed best player on the planet on your roster, no game or series should be considered out of reach until the final whistle. Never mind the fact you have a standout No. 2 on the roster who's come up big in the postseason before.
And just when the Nets think they have a game-changer ready to enter the mix and give this team new life, Simmons is nowhere to be found — which might be surprising for those who caught a glimpse of Brooklyn's bench in Game 3.
Reports indicate Simmons' back is bothering him again — just days after news of his return for Game 4 surfaced. Sure, that could happen. But what's also just as likely is someone in Brooklyn told Simmons to not bother at this point because this series is over.
Whoever made the decision isn't wrong to think playing Simmons would be pointless. The Nets might force a Game 5 — with or without him — but they're not coming back from this 3-0 deficit. That said, not a single member of the Nets' franchise should be thinking that way. Not when you have two superstars able to play their full allotment of minutes. It'd be one thing if this were one of those lower-seeded playoff teams that didn't really belong in the playoffs. But this is a team led by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. That could never be the case with them. Right?
