5 reasons Philadelphia 76ers can still improve without Ben Simmons

2. Much of their young corps is still intact

One thing that is definitely getting overlooked about this young 76ers team is that its players endured The Process together. Many players of their young core have been in this organization at least for a year or two. Through constant on-court struggles, they’ve had to have bonded, right?

Misery loves company and the bonds that some of these 76ers players have with each other could be a galvanizing factor for this team in 2016-17. Honestly, it might actually be better that Simmons isn’t playing with them in the first part of the season.

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For as talented as he is, he wasn’t the best teammate at LSU. Towards the end of the 2015-16 SEC season, it became clear that his Tiger teammates resented him. He was too good to play at a football school like LSU. Simmons might have been better suited to play at a traditional basketball power like a Duke or a Kansas that could’ve handled a star one-and-done player.

Having Simmons out for an extended stretch would give somebody else on the 76ers roster the opportunity to assert himself as a vocal leader. Simmons is still going to be the best player, but are we sure he will be a willful teammate?

This could be a great chance for somebody on Philadelphia to become that never-say-die type of on-court leader like a Draymond Green or a DeMarre Carroll. Somebody on this roster has that to have that scrappy, hard-working demeanor to inspire this young club, right?