With Ben Simmons rumored to be on the hunt for his newest ball club after a one-year sabbatical from the NBA, it is no surprise that the Philadelphia 76ers keep getting floated as a possible landing spot for him. However, the team should quickly shoot that idea down thanks to one simple reason –– the former All-Star has not done a lot of basketball this past year.
Commitment to the craft has always been one of the biggest points of criticism as regards Simmons, and his naysayers have only become vindicated in recent years. Choosing to sit out the previous campaign definitely did not help his case, and his surprising escapades outside the sport have gotten more attention than him working his body out to get into playing shape and/or honing his skills.
The 76ers should steer clear of Ben Simmons for one obvious reason people keep ignoring
Simmons actually makes a lot of sense for the 76ers right now when speaking in strictly basketball terms. The disgruntled star is still skillful enough as a playmaker and physically versatile enough as a defender that he could certainly be tabbed as a viable candidate for the team's final roster spot. At face value, he remains a flat-out good option for the team.
So what, then, is the caveat? Well, Simmons is not exactly the kind of player whom the 76ers –– or any other team for that matter –– should take at face value. First of all, his injury risks are something that cannot just be glossed over. His back problems have been so recurring that it is probably prudent to say that it will never recover fully again.
More importantly, though, the former 76ers star has not yet shown that he is fully committed to actually playing competitive basketball. This is the same man who sat out an entire season due to his disconnect with fans, owing to a self-sabotaged playoff run. Since then, he has evidently lost the drive that fueled him to become an All-Star and an All-NBA player.
Sure, the nostalgia and the undeniable basketball fit are good reasons for the 76ers to want a reunion with Ben Simmons, but they actually do not need to chase that. This team is already one of the most formidable squads in the league as currently constructed, and if it means ridding themselves of a potential headache, they should simply veer away from Simmons at all costs.
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