Ben Simmons has star potential, and also has the potential to completely change how the Philadelphia 76ers organization is perceived around the league.
The Philadelphia 76ers need a miracle on the court, and they also need some miracles off the court. Ben Simmons, who the Sixers are likely to take with their top overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft, seems to have the potential to make both of those things happen.
The Sixers have had a rough past three seasons. Much of that was by design, as the Sixers were aiming to get the top overall pick in the NBA Draft, but still, it’s been tough for fans to sit through three seasons that compiled just 48 wins.
Some fans just plain stopped watching when Sam Hinkie was clearly making the team bad in order to build up cash and draft picks. Really, could you blame those fans? Given that they did not at all agree with Hinkie’s plan, they decided they would come back when he was pushed out. Eventually, he was (just two months ago) and some of those fans are back.
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Because those fans stopped watching, ratings plummeted. Fans who went to the occasional game, or even had season tickets cancelled their memberships and stopped going. Those two things translate to an overall loss of money, and one has to assume that it’s a significant one.
With the Sixers seldom playing on national television over this past year, and the national sports programs only mentioning the Sixers when they set embarrassing records, the overall perception from the general NBA fans about the Sixers was a poor one. Some more interested fans liked the Hinkie plan, but most did not. Most despise the entire process that is, well, “The Process.”
So, just as hard as it’s going to be for the Sixers to come off of a 48-win grouping over the last three seasons, it’s going to be harder for them to fix their reputation. To some general NBA fans, anything short of a playoff visit will prove to them that the Sixers are not worth anyone’s time.
Even inside the Sixers world, many of the fans are fair-weathered. Yes, some were dedicated and stuck through this storm, but a large majority saw no point to pay attention to the team during this Hinkie era.
So, how does Simmons change this?
Simmons, a top overall pick, has the opportunity to leverage some huge deals. He’s already rumored to be inking a sneaker deal with Nike, which is a big deal given that the Sixers are the team that is likely to pick him. It was reported that the Lakers were a big factor in his shoe deal, and that he would look into Adidas if the Lakers did not get the top pick.
Even on the Sixers, though, Simmons went with Nike. In today’s day, it’s easy to be a star player in any team, in any city. While Los Angeles is still quite glamorous, Simmons can get a big shoe deal in Philly as well.
He will also undoubtedly draw in more viewers who want to check out the player that’s been clued the “next LeBron James.” In fact, Simmons may land the Sixers a few nationally televised games next season, just like Karl-Anthony Towns did with the Minnesota Timberwolves this past season.
On the court, he will also transform the team. He, along with Jahlil Okafor, are able to score at very high levels, and will improve the offense from day one. He will snag rebounds and facilitate the offense better than most point guards that have been with the team over the past season.
From a basketball standpoint, Simmons improves the Sixers right away. From a business standpoint, he also improves things. He will boost ratings, fill seats, and make marketing a breeze, especially with Nike supporting him all throughout his rookie season and beyond.
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The Sixers are blessed to be able to select Simmons first overall, and would be smart to select him from several different standpoints.