Ben Simmons came into the NBA with some large expectations.
The 6-11 point guard drew comparisons to some of the game’s greatest, and many thought that he was a generational talent.
But, after 5 seasons in Philadelphia, the 24 year old Simmons, could find himself in a different uniform for the 2021-2022 season.
Simmons and the 76ers have continued to underachieve, and have continued to miss opportunity after opportunity. There failure during this postseason may have been their greatest failure, as they failed to get by an Atlanta Hawks team, who had a losing record at the all-star break. The 76ers flat out collapsed in this series, as they blew a 26-point lead in game 5, and flat out got out-played in game 7. The 76ers have the better roster, but yet again, have come up short.
The poster boy for their failure during this playoff run was Ben Simmons.
Simmons failed to attempt a shot in the fourth quarter of game 2, game 4, game 5, game 6, and game 7, in their Eastern Conference Semi-Finals matchup against the Hawks.
Simmons struggled offensively this postseason, most notably from the free throw line. Simmons shot 34.2% from the free throw line, missing 48 free throws during the playoffs. Simmons became a liability at the end of games, forcing Doc Rivers to pull him at the end of close games.
One bad playoff run isn’t necessarily a reason to move on from a player, but Simmons’ flaws have not improved over the last few years, and the team has suffered because of it. Simmons has not improved as a shooter, if anything his failure to improve has resulted in the team’s constant failures.
Not even Doc Rivers would go to bat for Simmons after their defeat in game 7 to the Hawks. When Rivers was asked if Simmons could be the point guard of a championship team, his response was not a vote of confidence:
"I don't know the answer to that right now."
It’s clear that Doc Rivers has questions about Ben Simmons, and it seems likely that 76ers President of Basketball Operations, Daryl Morey does as well. But, trading Simmons might be more difficult than most people realize. He’s under contract for the next 4 seasons, as is due a grand total of $140.4 million. Some teams may be hesitant to take on his contract, especially with his shooting woes. Daryl Morey is known to be one of the most creative executives in the NBA, so expect Morey to think out of the box when it comes to moving Simmons.
Could Morey go big game hunting, and look to move Simmons in a package to acquire Damian Lillard?
I imagine that the Miami Heat could also be suitors for Simmons, and I could see the San Antonio Spurs having some interest in the three-time all-star.
Simmons’ career is far from over, but his flaws are a liability and just too much to handle. This team has reached their ceiling, and now are stuck in NBA’s purgatory.
$500 million is committed to Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, and Joel Embiid. All three have had issues, whether it’s under-performing or durability issues.
It’s time to break up this core, and the first shoe that needs to drop is Ben Simmons.