Even Joel Embiid threw Ben Simmons under the bus after Game 7 loss

Ben Simmons’ fell short in Game 7, so much so that even Philadelphia 76ers teammate Joel Embiid called him out in the postgame press conference.

It’s tough to see Simmons surviving this offseason in Philadelphia, honestly. The LSU product and former No. 1 overall pick scored just five points, and failed to be aggressive when his teammates needed him most.

With a wide open shot for the tie, Simmons opted to pass out. His pass-first mentality is often a gift in disguise for this Philly team, but on Sunday night, it was purely a curse.

It’s…tough to defend that. Period.

Previously, Philly sports fans would line up at the doors of Wells Fargo Center to come to Simmons’ defense. Now, those numbers are dwindling, and rightly so. Despite the assist and rebound numbers, without a true scoring threat from the point guard position, this Philadelphia team can only make it so far in the postseason.

It hurts even more when Simmons’ obvious deficiency is on display for the world to see.

Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid takes a shot at Ben Simmons

Embiid was frank in his postgame press conference, and while his quote can be taken slightly out of context, there’s no doubt he was talking about his co-star.

“I’ll be honest. I thought the turning point was when we — I don’t know how to say it — is when we had an open shot and we made one free throw…,” Embiid said.

Damn, that’s harsh.

Embiid has every right to say what he said. He had 31 points on 11-of-21 shooting, with teammate Tobias Harris playing second fiddle instead of Simmons. In fact, Simmons disappeared so much in this series 76ers fans made a missing person ad in his honor.

That cannot happen, especially in repeat postseasons. Simmons could fetch a nice return in the trade market, and fans shouldn’t be surprised if Daryl Morey pulls the trigger.

Something has to give in the City of Brotherly Love. The 76ers are too talented to consistently not reach their ultimate goal.