76ers, Ben Simmons Will Regret Breakup in the Long Term

When Ben Simmons was drafted No. 1 overall to the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2016 NBA Draft, ESPN NBA analyst Jalen Rose drew this player comparison to the former LSU Tiger.

"Did you say he's a forward with point guard skills? How about this guy... Grant Hill," Rose stated emphatically on the ESPN broadcast.

"He was 6'8", 225 pounds, a seven-time All Star... played 18 seasons and made $143 million playing basketball. His freshman year, just like Ben Simmons, they both made one three-point shot."

Hyperbole is often thrown around aimlessly on draft night, but Simmons' skillset and potential were worthy of the praise. He was bigger, taller and stronger than Hill coming out of LSU, not to mention Hill played four seasons at Duke compared to just one for Simmons.

The first four years of his career, there's been unquestionably more good than bad. Simmons is a three-time All Star, a two-time NBA All-Defensive First Teamer, and is only 25 years old entering his fifth season playing in the league (he did not play the 2016-17 season with a foot injury). While there had been grumblings in the works for multiple seasons about his fit alongside Embiid, everything became exacerbated during the playoffs in 2021. Simmons' inability to take initiative on offense, particularly in the 4th quarter of that series played a major role in Philadelphia's collapse against the Atlanta Hawks; being upset as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.

Shouldering the entire load of the blame on Simmons is also exceedingly unfair. Bad coaching, fouls, and ice-cold shooting streaks all played a role in the Sixers' series loss.

It's part of what makes the decision for both Simmons and the Sixers to give up on each other a potentially short-sided one, with longtime Sixers beat writer Keith Pompey reporting that Simmons has told management he doesn't want to be there anymore and will not report to training camp.

Would a change of scenery actually be beneficial for Simmons and the Sixers?

The Sixers are in win-now mode after years of "trusting the process" to bottom out, draft high end talent and then build a championship contender. The Eastern Conference is still winnable with the talent Philadelphia has on their roster, and trading Simmons away for pennies on the dollar hardly helps them accomplish that goal simply because both sides would like a separation.

Over at WynnBET, Philadelphia is still second amongst all Eastern Conference teams to win a title at +1800, behind the Milwaukee Bucks at +900. They rank sixth overall, sandwiched between the Phoenix Suns (+1600) and Denver Nuggets (+2000)

From the team's point of view, even if they were to bring in an established point or combo guard that can create his own shot and hit from outside, they likely won't be anywhere near the defensive presence, passer and rebounder Simmons is. Three-point shooting could always be improved, but Philadelphia finished tied for 10th in the NBA at 37.4% from behind the arc.

From Simmons' perspective, NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic mentioned teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves and Toronto Raptors as potential trade destinations for Simmons. While the media markets would be far less demanding than that of Philadelphia, a move north puts Simmons much further away from title contention than where he currently is.

Since Simmons stepped onto the court as a member of the Sixers, his teams have one 52, 51, 43 and 49 games. In an era of positionless basketball, Simmons' body and skills are what can help teams win in the modern NBA. Does he still need work? Of course, and head coach Doc Rivers has enough of a track record to help Simmons further develop, as well as help bring the two sides together if he truly wants him back and Simmons has a change of heart.

And while he hasn't yet developed an outside shot, that doesn't mean he's physically incapable of it either.

Simmons may have already made up his mind, and perhaps the Sixers ultimately follow suit, choosing to value those who wish to play in that market as opposed to those who don't. Time, transparency and accountability can heel wounds, and if Simmons ends up elsewhere for the 2021-2022 season, both he and his former team will be worse off for it.

Can the Sixers bounce back from a disappointing end to 2020?

Get in early on a potentially major NBA futures play over at WynnBET today!