Veteran star Ben Simmons has reportedly reached out to make amends with his former 76ers teammate, Joel Embiid. According to the latest intel from ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Simmons has already tried to repair his relationship with the MVP big man.
“So much has gone wrong for Simmons and his former team in the years they’ve been apart that Simmons’ presence back in Philadelphia barely registered this time,” wrote Shelburne. “He’d even reached out to Embiid and others last summer, league sources said, hoping to mend fences. Simmons has shown how he can still impact a game with his passing, length, and defense. But in the second quarter of the game Friday, he also missed the rim on a layup in a clip that quickly went viral — reminding everyone of how his time in Philadelphia went awry. Could they ever try to figure it out together again? One source called it unlikely, but stranger things have happened. Especially with the Sixers.”
Simmons made his first trip to Philadelphia earlier this month, where they lost to the 76ers. Usually, Ben’s return to Wells Fargo Center is a big deal in the NBA, but it was hardly noticed this season amid all the chaos surrounding the franchise.
At 3-14 so far this season, the 76ers are in full panic mode, and they are looking deep to try and turn the situation around. After signing Paul George to a maximum contract this summer, they don’t have the flexibility to change the roster and it means they are stuck with this group for the foreseeable future.
With all hands on deck trying to save the season, the last thing the 76ers were worried about was Ben Simmons, but it seems that he has already moved on from his complicated past. Not only is he ready to repair his relationship with Embiid, but he’s also ready to re-make and repair his image from the bottom.
This season, after years of injury struggles, Simmons has one last chance to prove that he still belongs in the NBA and he’s seeing the moment. This season, in 14 games, he’s averaging 5.9 points, 6.6 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game on 58.8% shooting. Against the Suns on Wednesday, he had his best game yet this season with dropped 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists on 87.5% shooting.
Against all odds, Simmons is flipping the script of his career and he’s changing the entire trajectory of his NBA future. If he can prove himself as a reliable role-player and make amends for his past mistakes, it will make an amazing comeback story for Simmons and may put him in a position to rejoin Embiid and the e76ers in the future.
For now, Ben is focused on letting his game come naturally without skipping steps or forcing the issue. Now that he’s healthier than he’s been in years, Simmons has a real chance to rehabilitate his value on the court and carve out his next role as a two-way swingman off the bench.
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