The Ben Simmons situation looks like it will only end with the Australian guard being traded. After a difficult few years in Philadelphia, Simmons is ready to embark on a new chapter and no longer wants to reconcile with the franchise, his teammates, or the fanbase.
Joel Embiid recently touched on the Ben Simmons issue, and how he has been approaching his trade demand.
For starters, Embiid is shocked that Simmons wants to leave because he feels slighted, especially considering the team has been built around him. The incoming and outgoing players in the team have been to accommodate Simmons better.
Embiid on Ben, partial: "Our teams have always been built around his needs. So it's just kind of surprising to see. Even going back to, the reason we signed Al, we got rid of Jimmy, which I still think was a mistake, just to make sure he needed the ball in his hands."
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) September 30, 2021
“Our teams have always been built around his needs. So it’s just kind of surprising to see. Even going back to, the reason we signed Al, we got rid of Jimmy, which I still think was a mistake, just to make sure he needed the ball in his hands.”
Embiid also suggested that Jimmy Butler leaving the 76ers was because of Simmons, something he thought was a mistake and didn’t agree with. On top of that, he did call out Simmons for treating the rest of his teammates and members of the organization the way he has been.
The NBA world is split over Simmons’ decision to leave, and the approach he has taken. Some fans think that Simmons has every right to leave this way because of the way the franchise scapegoated him for their 2nd round exit in the playoffs. While Simmons was poor in the playoffs, it wasn’t just his fault the 76ers got knocked out.
Whereas some other fans believe that Simmons is being unprofessional and not taking accountability for his own poor play. Instead of facing criticism head-on, he is choosing to run away from the challenge of trying to win over his teammates and the fans by improving his game.
