If you don’t have time to read my observations on Simmons’ game (e.g. his shooting, passing, and finishing skills), then skip to the last paragraph to see my destinations. Hint: Indiana, Golden State, and Minnesota make the list.
If there’s a lasting takeaway I would take, it’s my final, concluding sentences:
“I’ve called Simmons’ situation a ‘dilemma,’ I’ve called Simmons ‘the most polarizing star in the league,’ and I’ve described him as a ‘blessing’ and a ‘curse.’ That rings true today, as I could talk myself into wanting a motivated, improved Simmons (who has worked tirelessly on his jump-shot in the offseason) over trading him for anybody offered above, except for maybe a package of Zach LaVine or a package of McCollum + Covington.
But isn’t that the trap that Simmons has left me, Sixers fans, and analysts in? Every summer he is supposed to improve his game, and every season he reinforces his value as a playmaker and top-notch defender; yet, the result has always been the same: failure in the postseason.
It’s probably untenable for Simmons to return to the Sixers: the pressure of fans, the organization, and teammates makes the idea of his rebuilding his game from the ground up unlikely. However, the Sixers also have an MVP candidate in his prime, and they’re not going to trade Ben Simmons if it does not maximize Joel Embiid’s title-contending window. That’s why it is so difficult for Simmons to be traded, no matter how loud the calls for him to leave Philadelphia are.”
Excellent take on the Ben Simmons situation. As in all things, hindsight is 20/20. The 76ers best shot at getting equity out of Simmons was likely January/February of last season. As you astutely pointed out his value really couldn’t be any lower than it is right now. Whether it be the way he played in last season’s playoffs, his lack of anything resembling an NBA-ready offensive game or the fact he’s gone AWOL from the team in terms of basic communication there is nothing about that scenario that will make a GM consider trading him for an All-Star, to say nothing of the ever-increasing value of draft picks. Especially to teams in contention.
There’s a lot to like about your analysis of Ben, I’ve often thought he has hooves for hands when it comes to his jumper. There’s nothing about it that looks smooth or natural, not to me anyhow. Like Lonzo Ball when he first came into the league, the problem starts at the free throw line and just snowballs from there. Not making free throws means you avoid contact which means you avoid committing on your drives into the paint which means you are already over-thinking what should be a reactionary exercise. Unlike Lonzo Ball, Ben has rarely shown the ability to hit free throws consistently. To say nothing of space-creating three pointers.
The other thing that you didn’t get too much into in this article, possibly in one I have yet to read, is that Ben has pretty decent injury history already for a guy who has been in the Association for only 5 seasons. His entire first season he missed due to the foot injury and since then here’s the list that has forced him to miss games:https://www.foxsports.com/nba/ben-simmons-player-injuries
Again, when you’re talking about compensation in the range Morey expects it gets outlandish to even consider pulling the trigger on a trade for an oft-injured, gun-shy break away transition player. That’s quite a niche role considering the implications of trading away All Star talent and draft picks. I don’t see it happening, frankly.
The question now becomes two-fold. Can Simmons return to the 76ers and play at least as well as he did last season? I think he has to, even if he wants to leave and the 76ers want to trade him. If he becomes adamant that he won’t show then it becomes a very quick game of chicken between Daryl Morey and the other 29 GMs in the NBA of “Who blinks first and lowers their demands?” Morey pulled off some magic in Houston in terms of trades and figuring out how to get the players he sought around James Harden, I don’t see Philly as having the same draft capital he inherited in Houston.
In the end, I think your notion of sending him to either Chicago or Portland will be the result. Both franchises are in beyond win-now mode, especially Portland who does not want to deal with a Dame trade request in any way, shape, or form. Now…does Ben Simmons elevate them to potential champ status? No, so I think it would take some coercion on Morey’s part in the form of other teams being involved and Simmons ending up on a rebuilding team like Orlando or Minny.
Good read, thoroughly enjoyed it!
Appreciate it! Never wrote directly about Simmons’ injuries, but I did write about the Sixers’ medical team (hint: not good).
https://medium.com/basketball-university/the-strange-history-of-the-sixers-medical-team-d37112d4411f?source=friends_link&sk=bae46794a941d552beb9f799d1decc31
And yeah, I agree for all of the reasons you mentioned in your astute comments, that Philadelphia and Simmons are basically stuck together since Simmons’ value cratered and Morey can’t afford to not get an All-Star in return for Ben. But I also think that Simmons now has locker room issues in Philly, and Wells Fargo Center might be the worst environment ever for a player to try to rebuild their confidence.
So who really knows what will happen?