The idea of a Ben Simmons reunion in Philadelphia has the kind of easy appeal that can fool people fast. On paper, the fit still looks tidy enough: he can handle the ball, he can defend multiple spots, and he could fill a roster need for the 76ers.
But the bigger question isn’t whether Simmons can help in theory. It’s whether the team should trust what comes with him now.
That’s where the warning sign gets impossible to ignore. Simmons has not done much basketball over the past year, and that matters.
The former All-Star’s commitment to the craft has been a longstanding point of criticism, and the last year has only sharpened that concern. He chose to sit out the previous campaign, and more of the attention around him has centered on what he’s been doing away from the game than on any work to get ready for it.
There’s no denying that, strictly as a basketball piece, Simmons still has value. He remains a skilled playmaker and a versatile defender, which is why he can still be viewed as a possible option for Philadelphia’s final roster spot. At face value, that makes sense.
But the Sixers can’t stop at face value. The injury concern is real, especially with his back problems, which have been recurring enough that it is probably prudent to say that it will never recover fully again. That alone should give any team pause.
The bigger issue is the one tied to motivation. Simmons still hasn’t shown that he is fully committed to playing competitive basketball.
He sat out an entire season after his disconnect with fans, following a playoff run that was self-sabotaged. Since then, he has seemingly lost the drive that once carried him to All-Star and All-NBA status.
Nostalgia can make a reunion sound tempting, and the basketball fit is obvious enough to keep the conversation alive. But the 76ers do not need to go down that road. They are already one of the league’s most formidable teams as currently built, and if the choice is between adding a possible solution or avoiding a potential headache, the safer move is to steer clear of Simmons altogether.
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LeBron Sends Russell Westbrook A Reminder Sixers Fans Will Feel
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For Sixers fans, Westbrooks place in NBA history still carries a familiar edge, even from afar, because his resume is built on the kind of peak that changes how a player is remembered. Nine All-Star selections, an MVP in 2017 and an Olympic gold medal in 2012 make the Hall of Fame conversation feel more like a formality than a debate, and James reaction only adds to the sense that Westbrooks next chapter is about recognition rather than questions. [Read more 🡒]