One Thing Ben Simmons Might be Right About
Ben Simmons is expected to speak to the media today, with practice wrapping up around 11:45. Will he actually talk? Or just sit there in silence? Will he hold up cue cards ala Malcolm Jenkins? Or do push ups while Rich Paul looks on?
We’ll find out soon.
Meantime, let’s touch on this topic:
Good listen… a lot of work goes into these shows.
“I just want to go somewhere I can make mistakes.” Simmons told the 6ers according to @ramonashelburne
Get him out of here TODAY @dmorey https://t.co/xptRnu2j7g
— Fox PHL Gambler.com (@Sean_Brace) October 19, 2021
I agree with Sean that Ben Simmons needs to go elsewhere. The Sixers are better off going in a different direction.
But I’d lend credence to what Ben is allegedly saying about the need to make mistakes. That first year would have really benefited Simmons if he wasn’t injured. The 2016-2017 season was the fun transitional year with zero expectations placed on anybody. The Sixers were turning the corner from the Process era and had guys like Joel Embiid and Robert Covington out there. Fans were excited, even if the team still wasn’t very good. It would have been a perfect environment for Ben to throw up some bricks and get his feet wet.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, and when he did hit the floor, expectations were high. Playoffs or bust, amplified by the divisive nature of The Process and the need to justify the tank. You have to admit that it’s not an ideal path to start your NBA career, and so I can see where Ben’s coming from.
The counter to my argument is that Sixers fans are okay with making mistakes. Look at Markelle Fultz, and how he was cheered on his return. Even last year and the year before they would have supported Ben if he showed a good faith effort to expand his offensive game. But we didn’t see that, we only saw Instagram videos of him doing things that never translated to real games.
It should be a total shit show in Camden today. Never a dull moment in these parts.