Simmons fires back after Dudley calls him 'average' in half court
Ben Simmons responded Thursday to Brooklyn Nets forward Jared Dudley's comments that the Philadelphia 76ers point guard is "average" in the half court.
"That's coming from Jared Dudley," Simmons said, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey.
Dudley offered during media availability Wednesday what he believes to be Simmons' limitations.
"Ben Simmons is a great player in transition," Dudley said, according to to the New York Post's Stefan Bondy. "And once you get him into half court, he's average."
The absence of a consistent perimeter shot - he's never made a 3-pointer in the NBA - leaves Simmons to get most of his scoring opportunities near the basket. While he's had success as a screen-and-roll man, the 22-year-old logged only 13 such possessions this season, according to The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor, citing Synergy Sports.
Simmons scored only two points over the 22 possessions he was guarded by Dudley in the Nets' Game 1 win, according to Pompey. Dudley missed Game 2 with a calf injury.
The series has also featured some bad blood between the two teams over the way Joel Embiid apologized for an elbow to Jarrett Allen in Game 2.
Game 3 goes Thursday night in Brooklyn.