Ben Simmons is in rebellion with Philadelphia 76ers since summer. He does not plan on staying in the team and the situation is getting more complicated. What has led Ben Simmons to act this way? What will be the consequences?
A hero in his first season:
Do you remember when the Philadelphia 76ers were rumored about ending up in the G-League? That team was really really awful and it seemed that the situation would not get better. They finished with the worst record of the league (10 wins and 72 defeats) in the 15/16 season. Terrible. However, Philadelphia drafted Ben Simmons in 2016. A lot of expectations wee put on this young promise, but a tough injury preventing him from playing in his first year.
Things changed next season. Joel Embiid finally had more regularity and Ben Simmons was awarded as the Rookie of the Year averaging 16 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. This stats led the 76ers all the way to the Playoffs where they fell to the Boston Celtics in the second round.
Things were finally going well for Philadelphia, as they maintained their presence in the Playoffs, but they would not make it beyond second round. The most painful moment: the basket by Kawhi Leonard in the last second of Game 7 in the 2019 Conference Finals. Ben Simmons missed the Playoffs in the ‘bubble’ and they fell to Boston.
And now what?
It must be frustrating to see that your team has the potential to make big things, with teammates like Joel Embiid, but you always end up halfway. Many players have asked to be traded from the team of their love, but not all of them have left the right way. The most recent case is the exit of James Harden from the Houston Rockets. The shooting guard showed a very reprehensible attitude in his last days at the franchise.
Ben Simmons has been on the news to sign for several teams during this summer, such as Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings or Minnesota Timberwolves. The first ones already ruled him out, but the Wolves are still watching him. Simmons is for now in Philadelphia, but he is certainly creating a negative atmosphere inside the locker-room, which is something that the franchise should stop before it spreads around.
Now Ben Simmons must pay for the consequences of his acts. The point guard does not show himself participating in practices, even having his cell phone on his pocket, and the situation is just getting worst.
He has missed the first game of the season against New Orleans Pelicans and he will more than likely face bigger punishments due to his poor attitude. This situation does not help at all to the 76ers either, as they lose a key player that can be crucial to battle for the throne of the tight East Conference.
Of course the case of Ben Simmons is not the first one and will not be the last one in the NBA. These situations just show the lack of professionalism in this kind of players, as they only want to leave the team that gave them their first opportunity without caring about anything else.
Main image: Philadelphia 76ers.
Translated by Guillermo Bermejo.
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