Kyrie defends Simmons: 'Give him a f-----g chance'

Warning: Story contains coarse language

Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving came to the defense of Ben Simmons after another rough showing from the three-time All-Star.

"You guys keep coming in here asking me like, 'What about Ben?' ... He hasn't played in two years. Give him a f-----g chance," Irving said after the Nets' 110-99 loss Wednesday to the Milwaukee Bucks, according to SNY.

"We stay on his shit. ... We're just here to give him positive affirmations while he's out there and just let him hoop."

Simmons finished with four points, five boards, nine assists, two steals, and two turnovers in 34 minutes of action. He has yet to score double digits in a game and has fouled out in two of the previous three contests.

Prior to the 2022-23 campaign, Simmons last played 16 months ago for the Philadelphia 76ers in their season-ending loss to the Atlanta Hawks in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Various members of the Nets have preached patience as Simmons gets back into the swing of things.

Until then, Irving said it's on the rest of the team to find a way out of its early slump.

"While (Simmons) is hooping and getting back into it, we're going to have to really gel as a team in order to learn how to win as a group," Irving said. "It's not an individual's job to go out there and be Superman. He doesn't have to. There's no such thing. It's made up anyway."