Why the Philadelphia 76ers may be stuck with Ben Simmons.
When the Philadelphia 76ers entered the NBA playoffs as the top seat in the Eastern Conference, I don’t think many envisioned this team losing in the Eastern conference semifinals at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks.
Nevertheless, after doing so in embarrassing fashion on their home floor in a decisive seventh game, the Sixers will be heading into the offseason with plenty of questions to answer.
With the biggest of them all revolving around what to do with Ben Simmons.
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Should the Philadelphia 76ers sell low on Ben Simmons?
In a vacuum, it should be a no-brainer that Simmons should be considered a key part of this team’s core. After all, this franchise spent a year upon year tanking for an elite talent such as Simmons. Although, over the last couple of seasons, Simmons simply hasn’t developed into the superstar that many expected him to be coming out of college. And that’s been the biggest problem for this team.
And after his latest playoff disappointment, you can actually make a case that his value over the last couple of seasons has actually decreased.
In the series against the Hawks, Simmons averaged just 10 points per game on 33 percent shooting from the free-throw line. By the end of the series, especially when he was no longer dominant on the defensive end, Simmons was more of a liability than an asset for the Sixers.
By the end of the series, Simmons was overpassing, avoiding offensive possessions altogether, and was a nightmare at the free-throw line. So much so that even Simmons admitted as much after the game.
Ben Simmons: "Offensively I wasn't there, I didn't do enough for my teammates."
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) June 21, 2021
Was this the breaking point for the team? After anything playoff disappointment, will this considered to be the end of the Simmons-Joel Embiid experiment as the Sixers’ two top players? If so, the Sixers have another question to answer.
Assuming the Sixers are ready to move on from Simmons, they would have to be willing to sell low on his trade value. Heading into the offseason, Simmons’ trade value is at an all-time low and he probably won’t be willing to reel in a big fish on the trade market, short of a superstar demanding a trade to the Sixers – though, it should be noted that such situation didn’t net James Harden; that’s not a guarantee.
Even though it seems like a no-brainer that the Sixers should trade Simmons heading into the offseason, it won’t be as easy as it sounds. And the post-game comments from head coach Doc Rivers won’t make matters any better.
Rivers on if he still believes Simmons can be a title winning point guard: "I don't know the answer to that question right now."
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) June 21, 2021
After another disappointing season, the Sixers may not have much wiggle room. Unless they’re willing to sell Simmons (and likely take a loss in doing so), the Sixers may have to take a bit of a step back in order to step forward.
Or, they can continue to trust the process and hope that Simmons can shake off his recent playoff issues next season. Though, frankly, nothing in Daryl Morey’s past suggests he’s that type of general manager. Buckle up, Sixers fans. If there’s one thing we know about Morey, it’s that he’s not going to sit idly by after this most recent playoff failure.