After years of tanking, which brought them a wealth of top picks, the Philadelphia 76ers finally had players they believe can bring them back to contention. That duo, of course, were Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, who quickly found great chemistry on the court and helped return the Sixers to the playoffs after a nine-year absence.
The long and grueling process, along with Embiid’s famous “Trust the Process” mantra, was finally supposed to culminate in 2021, when they secured the No.1 seed in the Eastern Conference during the regular season and entered the ECSF as heavy favorites against the Atlanta Hawks.
Long story short, the series went to Game 7, and near the end, Simmons had an open layup, but as if he hesitated, he passed it. The Hawks shockingly advanced to the conference Finals, and after the game, Embiid and Doc Rivers practically threw Simmons under the bus, which irreparably damaged their relationship.
Lue addressed the reasons behind Ben’s downfall
After a few seasons of searching for the right situation while battling injuries, it seemed like he might finally find a home with the Los Angeles Clippers. Tyronn Lue, known as a coach whose adjustments are brilliant, looked like the perfect fit to carve out a role for Aussie, maybe as a playmaker with the second unit.
But in the end, even there, the former number one pick couldn’t find his old self. On Shannon Sharpe’s podcast Club Shay Shay, Lue addressed the reasons behind Simmons’ downfall.
“I equated it just to that play, I don’t think that changed,” Lue said. “I think the injuries really set him back. You know, having back surgeries, then we acquired him this year, seeing his knee, all the things he had to fight through just to be able to get on the floor, I think that played a big role.”
“I’m pissed off at myself because he needs the ball in his hands, and so does James, and so does Kawhi. It was hard; it was just a tough dynamic, and I take full responsibility. I didn’t figure it out the way I needed to,” he added.
Simmons’ journey
Although some initially doubted his injury issues, they took a toll. They slowed him down. He wasn’t as crafty in the air or athletic as he used to be. At times, you could still see flashes of his defensive brilliance and elite vision. Still, he never returned to the dominant levels of his early years.
At one point, he found himself on a Brooklyn Nets team with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, where many envisioned him as a point-forward, something like a Draymond Green role. But he never fit there either.
As Lue pointed out, he’s a player who needs the ball in his hands. Because of his poor outside shot, defenses will always leave him open on the perimeter, making him practically useless off-ball. And after leaving the Sixers, he almost always played in teams that had a ball-dominant guard, as they didn’t need his playmaking skills.
At the end of the day, he is still only 29 years old and has the tools to reinvent himself in the league. Even if it’s unlikely he ever gets back to the level he showed early in his career, he’ll always have that high basketball IQ to keep him in the league. The key now is regaining his confidence.