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At Least the Sixers Made One Correct Decision Last Year
By Sean Barnard
Published:
Sometimes the past should remain the past. When Ben Simmons is part of the conversation, this is 100% the case.
It’s impossible for the Sixers and Ben Simmons to completely separate themselves from each other. An intertwined history that started with the Sixers drafting him with the first overall pick in 2016 and finished when he proved too mentally zapped to attempt a layup against the Atlanta Hawks in the playoffs, even if the saga did drag on longer. Simmons was traded to the Nets following his holdout and suited up for a total of 90 games across three seasons for Brooklyn.
Per Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, who has plenty of Philadelphia ties, the Sixers at least considered bringing Simmons back after he was bought out by the Nets last season:
Ultimately, Simmons landed in Los Angeles and played 18 regular season games and five playoff matchups with the Clippers. It was a poetic ending to the situation suiting up alongside James Harden, whom he was traded for to conclude the Philadelphia fallout. Simmons played just 16.4 minutes per game and averaged 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists with the Clippers. Across the five postseason games, Simmons played just 8.4 minutes and averaged 0.8 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.8 rebounds per game.
It is a bit entertaining to watch other fanbases go through the Ben Simmons cycle at such a rapid rate. Talking yourself into all the little things he does and that he doesn’t even need to shoot if he has the right guys around him. Then it becomes increasingly frustrating how he straight up ignores the rim, to the point where it becomes disruptive to the flow of the offense. Even worse, over the past few years, the random games of Simmons showing the intention to score the ball at a high rate have been nonexistent. He has not scored more than 15 points in any game over the past two seasons.
The future of Simmons is now increasingly unclear. Per NBA insider Marc Stein, the LSU product reportedly rejected an offer from the New York Knicks this offseason:
To be fair, there has never been a player less likely to take a prove-it deal than Ben Simmons. But asking for more than the minimum when you’ve played 108 of a passible 329 games since the 2020-21 season is quite ambitious. That is the type of no-show job that makes Kawhi Leonard jealous. They say shooters shoot, but this isn’t really a phrase that applies to Simmons.
It also would have been a terrific experience to watch Knicks fans go through the Simmons experience if this had come to fruition.
While I get romanticizing the once-promising Simmons and Joel Embiid duo, the reality is both players may be a fraction of what they once were. In theory, getting another ball handler and high-level defender who can rebound the basketball makes sense, but the reality is Simmons has not actually been this for quite some time.
When Simmons first dug in his heels on the trade request and forced his way out of Philadelphia, it felt like he was on a trajectory to be an all-time sports villain. But the three time All-Star has not held up his end of the bargain for this becoming the case. A part-time player with a flawed skillset doesn’t exactly get the juices flowing. If anything, it almost is sad to see what Simmons has become. The man once hailed as the next LeBron James looks to be on pace to retire before James even leaves the league.
The Sixers did plenty wrong last season, but at least Simmons was not added to the disaster. It’s officially time to put all talk of any sort of reunion with Ben Simmons to bed. Philadelphia already has several oft-injured former stars with availability issues and the concerns with Simmons would be more significant that any of these. Hell, Simmons makes Paul George look like Cal Ripken from an availability standpoint.
At least we will always have this gem of a tweet to remember some of the worst times in Philadelphia sports:
Sean Barnard has covered the Philadelphia 76ers and general Philly Sports for over six years in a variety of roles and for multiple outlets. Currently works as a Content Writer for DraftKings Network, Sixers/NBA Insider for Philadelphia's Fox Sports the Gambler, and co-host of Sixers & Phillies Digest on Youtube. Forever Trusting the Process.