Assigning blame for the Sixers’ Ben Simmons quagmire: Ultimate person
I considered holding teammates responsible, but at this point, I have to point the final finger at the man who has to look himself in the mirror every time he wears an NBA jersey. The most indisputable person responsible for the shortcomings of Ben Simmons is Ben Simmons.
At some point, the product on the floor must equate to performance expectations, especially when you earn over $30 million a year. Add to that, a franchise devoted itself to its future by using a rare and highly touted number one draft pick on you.
Becoming a pro athlete is not easy, and staying one is even tougher. There’s tremendous commitment and sacrifice involved. Still, to whom much is given, much is required. Show people you’re an All-Star, and they expect that kind of display. If that isn’t met, then criticism comes with the territory.
Some defenders of Simmons will cry out for his critics to “let him live his life” as he avoided the Olympics to get away from the noise. I admit, you cannot blame a man for wanting to get away and relax after an arduous season and relentless scrutiny. However, he is the one who continues to post his “best life” on social media, while Philly fans are still recovering from one of the most disappointing playoff losses in memory. Does Simmons even care? Doesn’t seem like it while flaunting his luxury cars and lavish million-dollar home.
"“He don’t want to be with the 76ers. And from what I heard, he’s at least willing not to report to training camp and would go as far as it would take to get out of Philly.” – Kendrick Perkins on The Jump speaking about Ben Simmons"
Some speculate that he is trolling Philadelphia fans by tagging his Los Angeles location and posting cryptic tweets. Who knows. Maybe he is, maybe he isn’t. What’s more frustrating are the videos that make their way to social media (again), where he is pulling up for deep 3s and playing like LeBron 2.0 inside a rec gym with fellow NBA players. If you are like me, you’ve already pulled out your hair and thrown in the towel. Enough is enough already.
As exasperated as we are with Ben Simmons, the fans are nowhere near a precarious position as Sixers’ management. You trade him too early, and you may not get equal value in return. You wait too long to trade him, and you risk an ugly hold-out situation. Neither is good for the organization nor the fanbase. Ben Simmons has become the back itch that Philly can’t scratch because we are wearing a snowsuit in the middle of a blizzard.
Well, it is starting to snow early in Philadelphia, and the storm won’t let up. Will the Sixers be covered in snow by the time October rolls around? If Daryl Morey drags his feet to scratch that itch, we may all freeze to death when he finally does.