Standoff Continues As Training Camp Nears
When you look at this entire 76ers-Ben Simmons saga as a whole, it is very easy to pinpoint where things went wrong. Last season in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Sixers took on Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks, which looked very favorable to Simmons on paper.
Ultimately, this did not turn out to be the case, as the All-Star averaged 9.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and shot just 33.3% from the free-throw line in this series on 45 total attempts. Ben Simmons’ performance against guys way smaller and less athletic than him was atrocious, plus Simmons passing up on a wide-open dunk with under a minute to go in Game 7 of this series was the final spark that set a chain of events into motion.
The Philadelphia 76ers management and Doc Rivers, their head coach, defended Ben Simmons and his play all season long. Still, Rivers did not answer what the future held for the former No. 1 overall pick after this series.
When asked if Simmons could be a championship-level point guard for this team, Doc Rivers responded, “I don’t know the answer to that,” which should tell Ben Simmons everything he needs to know.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Predictions for Latest NBA Trade Rumors: Simmons, Siakam, Dragic, Lillard
This 76ers organization clearly does not believe in him, and that is not only apparent from Rivers’ statement following their series loss to the Atlanta Hawks, but because they have barely tried to help develop him in the offseason.
Ben Simmons has been in the league for a total of five years now, only playing in four, yet he cannot shoot outside of the paint and has only improved defensively. He is a complete liability on offense right now, and the Sixers have made him this way because of the mental strain they have forced on him.
The best-case scenario for Ben Simmons and the rest of his career right now is to be traded before training camp. That way, he can just hit the “reset” button on everything. He is not a bad player by any means, and at 25-years-old, Simmons is only going to continue to get better, that is, if he is on a team that believes in him.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Predictions for Latest NBA Trade Rumors: Simmons, Siakam, Dragic, Lillard
What Philly ultimately decides to do could have major ramifications on how the 2021-22 season plays out. They could very much fall out of the championship picture in the Eastern Conference if they do not get a great return for Simmons in a trade.
They want an All-Star player in return for Ben Simmons, but with no teams willing to offer this to them, plus Bradley Beal and Damian Lillard not being available via trade, the 76ers options are very thin right now. Joel Embiid is an MVP candidate on the Sixers’ roster, but without another All-Star next to him, Philadelphia really does not have much of a shot to beat the Brooklyn Nets or Milwaukee Bucks en route to the NBA Finals.
