Ben Simmons set himself up for some good old-fashioned trolling, with fans making fun of the Nets forward after his latest Instagram story.

Nets' Ben Simmons in a poker table, going all in

It’s a downright understatement to say that Ben Simmons has endured a rough couple of years. In fact, the entirety of Simmons’ Brooklyn Nets has been a disaster. It’s important to note, however, that Simmons is only 27 years old. So there might still be a chance that he regains his form and bounces back from what has been a catastrophic past three seasons.

Simmons, at the very least, appears to be confident as he works his way back from the injuries that have sapped him of his All-Star-level play for from 2019 to 2021. The Nets forward/guard, on his official Instagram account, posted a story of an image of his post-workout self walking past a signage board with the quote, “It hits different when you bet on yourself and it pays off.”

While Ben Simmons is merely hyping himself and what remains of his fanbase up by giving them some encouragement regarding his road to recovery, fans simply made fun of the Nets forward/guard. Fans no longer believe that Simmons can return to the player he was when he was one of the league’s most impactful defensive players and most entertaining playmakers to watch, especially in transition.

“I just want Ben Simmons to know that none of us are rooting for him,” one fan wrote on Twitter (X). Wrote another, “He hasn’t retired yet?”

The frustration over the Nets forward is that he has had a long history of posting offseason workout videos to show fans that he is trying to improve some aspects of his game. But fans are familiar with Ben Simmons’ social media stylings, and they are no longer falling for his purported ruse.

“If Ben Simmons thinks I’m falling for his BS again.” – @AtTheBuzzer1

“Ben Simmons is the master of how to use your social media in the off-season to build hype. We all know how this ends already. This just like when they posted him shooting 3’s in the off season.” – @Jspanndaman

Meanwhile, some fans took the opportunity to utilize some Jontay Porter memes due to the betting imagery Ben Simmons gave everyone as fuel for some hilarious trolling.

“Jontay Porter did that too 🔥🔥🔥.” – @chisportsross

“He definitely has been betting his unders.” – @GamblingPodcast

With Ben Simmons’ huge contract set to expire at the end of the 2024-25 season, he will have a lot to prove for the Nets and the entire NBA as to whether or not he could still play, and at a high enough level at that. But Simmons now has all the incentive in the world to make his critics eat their words, although the task ahead, it must be said, is exceptionally difficult given all the struggles he has faced over the past three or so years.

Can Ben Simmons bounce back for the Nets?

The Nets brought Ben Simmons in in 2022 in a blockbuster trade that sent James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers. On paper, Simmons was a great fit alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Simmons is a pass-first lockdown defender who can finish strong at the rim, which means that he could feast on the attention Durant and Irving draw.

Alas, Simmons did not play upon his arrival with the Nets as he dealt with a back injury. When he returned the following season, his back continued to give him trouble, as he looked like a shell of his former All-Star self. He passed up open looks from close range, was very passive in hunting his offense, and he was very foul prone to the point of hilarity.

And then, the following year, it looked as though Ben Simmons was on the cusp of redemption. He looked more athletic during the 2023 preseason, and he was also quicker when it comes to getting to the basket. He was also putting up solid stat lines, stuffing the box score yet again for a Nets team that badly needed him to perform.

However, after playing 32 or more minutes in five of the first six games he suited up in this past season, Simmons ended up re-aggravating his back injury. He missed 38 straight games from November to January, and upon his return in January, he also showed some signs of life. That ended up being fool’s gold, as he, once again, fell prey to the injury bug, even undergoing back surgery for the second time in three years back in March.

The hope is that the surgery Simmons underwent means that he has put his back problems behind him, and he will have every incentive to prove that he can still play as he will be up for a new contract next year.