Ben Simmons played his last NBA game to date last year. He collapsed against the Atlanta Hawks, struggling to even attempt shots in 4th quarters, once again pissing off Philadelphia fans, finishing his relationship with them on terrible terms.
A lot has happened since that moment, but we’re still learning new details about Simmons’ situation and what really happened during that game. The Hawks surprised everybody during their 2021 playoff run, leaving a big disaster behind them.
Simmons starred in a very controversial play during that series, passing up what looked like an easy layup or dunk. That play raised a lot of eyebrows around the league and many fans are still looking for explanations as to what happened to Simmons when he made that decision.
Well, Trae Young recently sat down with JJ Redick to explain what could have happened to Simmons at that moment. The young point guard broke down the options Simmons had, what decision he could have made and how his presence would have affected the outcome of that play:
“If he would have turned and faced the basket and kept it high, there’s no reason to foul him and get an and one,” Young said. “But I think he spawned and took a low dribble, I would have fouled him and not let him get the shot off. Hit his arm and send him to the free throw line. I think he kind of knew that I was going to come over and foul him. That’s why he passed it up.”
That play made a lot of noise around the league, and many think that was the reason why Sixers fans started hating on Simmons. It’s too late to make amends for them, especially now that he’s in Brooklyn, playing for the Nets.
We will never know what would have happened if Simmons made a different decision, but it’s useless to star making up scenarios. Trae understood why he did what he did and that should mean something.
