Ben Simmons post game interview is full of excuses for 76ers

As far as Philadelphia 76ers fans are concerned, Ben Simmons is to blame for their Game 7 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Simmons doesn’t deserve all the hate, sure, but scoring just five points as arguably the second-best player on the losing side ought to get some scrutiny. Philly sports fans won’t let Simmons forget about Game 7 for quite some time, in part due to this decision to pass up a game-tying shot with just under three minutes remaining.

Uh…what?

We get Simmons is a pass-first player, as he had 13 assists and eight rebounds on the night. That does add value. Yet, when a professional basketball player has a wide open lay-up, to not take it is bound to draw some sort of confusion.

Ben Simmons press conference: Philadelphia 76ers guard deflects blame

Simmons wasn’t about to consider any changes to his game after the Sixers narrow loss in Game 7.

“We lost. It sucks. I am who I am, it is what it is. It’s not easy to win and it shows. Nets got finished by the Bucks, it’s not easy to win,” Simmons said.

There are several angles to dissect here. First, don’t bring up another team’s failure as an excuse for losing. That’s not good enough. Second, perhaps it’s time to consider some changes.

Simmons potentially shoots with the wrong hand! This has been well-publicized, and explains why he’s uncomfortable pulling up from beyond five feet.

It’s tough to see the 76ers hanging onto Simmons past this offseason, if only because change is necessary. They applied further pressure by hiring Doc Rivers and bringing Daryl Morey into the front office last year.

Now, there are no other scapegoats. It’s Simmons or bust.

The process has taken an unfortunate turn.