By now, you’re aware of Ben Simmons’ epic fourth-quarter mistake, in which he passed up a wide-open layup under the basket to pass to Matisse Thybulle, who ended up getting fouled and making 1 out of 2 free throws.
Since the final buzzer sounded, Simmons has been the subject of criticism online, with fans wondering just what it will take for him to get his confidence back.
Simmons’ own teammate, Joel Embiid, even called him out, pointing out in the post-game press conference that it was that moment by Ben that changed the momentum of the game.
“I mean, I’ll be honest. I thought the turning point was when we — I don’t know how to say it — but I thought the turning point was just we had an open shot and we made one free throw and we missed the other and then they came down and scored…
We didn’t get a good possession on the other end and Trae came back and he made a 3 and then from there down four, it’s on me. I turned the ball over and tried to make something happen from the perimeter. But I thought that was the turning point.”
"We didn't get a good possession on the other end and Trae came back and he made a 3 and then from there down four, it's on me. I turned the ball over and tried to make something happen from the perimeter. But I thought that was the turning point."
— Rich Hofmann (@rich_hofmann) June 21, 2021
It’s very bizarre for a guy to call out his own co-star like that after a loss. And while Embiid did not put all of the responsibility on Simmons’ shoulders, Jo made it clear that his mistake played a major role in their series-clinching loss.
If Ben can’t figure out how to raise his confidence, it will only continue to haunt this team.
