"“After watching him play, and I know he’s making 30 to 40 million a year, what team, and he’s afraid to shoot the ball, what team wants to trade for that situation?” – Charles Barkley on Ben Simmons"
We feel you, Chuck. This is where we are after enduring years of deliberate losing. Yes, we scored multiple high draft picks as a result. Sure, we salivated at the idea of selecting Ben Simmons. Yet, after his horrendous series that heavily contributed to another early playoff exit against the Hawks, the fanbase is in limbo, and the Sixers are reportedly trying to find another team willing to exchange valuable players for Simmons. I am not going to hold my breath.
At the end of the day, who should shoulder blame for the Sixers’ current situation with Simmons? Who is responsible for his steady decline in shooting since he entered the NBA? There’s a few people we can pick out of a lineup.
Should we begin with his family?
Assigning blame for Sixers’ Ben Simmons quagmire: Family
An old saying goes, “Family and business don’t mix.” There is plenty to be cautious about in this dynamic. For Ben Simmons and his circle of family members who have guided him throughout his NBA career, there hasn’t seemed to be any financial strain, but his performance has suffered because of those relationships.
Anyone who watches sports will attest that players should expect to develop and refine skills. The problem Simmons has had is that he does not have enough objective people in his ear, telling him what he needs to hear.
When he was at LSU, his godfather was his assistant coach. David Patrick helped to recruit Simmons, where the main focus was to finish in transition. How is this evident? Simmons attempted only three 3-pointers in his lone LSU season. Why didn’t his godfather help him develop a perimeter shot?
According to Stephen A. Smith, “everyone around him is family, and he’s constantly babied.” Could one of those coddlers be his brother, Liam Simmons? Early in his career, Ben Simmons decided he would work with someone who had never played in the NBA or had trained NBA players. Why is that? You would think a hungry player would want to learn from a decorated trainer with a resume filled with notable clients. Not Simmons.
He chose his brother, who in the space of awkward guidance at best, was essentially the blind leading the blind. Did Simmons want a “yes man” that would not push him to points of discomfort, even if it meant taking risks in game situations? It’s like a president who chooses his daughter and son-in-law to be his advisors. The relationship was doomed from the start.