Ben Simmons’ 2020/21 NBA season hasn’t been easy at all. The Australian point guard has been criticized ever since he entered the league, but this year, things have taken another dimension.
With the Philadelphia 76ers considered one of the favorites to win the NBA championship, the player has gotten more attention than ever, with fans and analysts going off on him for his poor shooting skills.
He struggled to make free throws in the Sixers’ 109-106 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night. They blew a 26-point lead, and Ben’s struggles at the line (4-14) played a big role in that.
Last night, Ben Simmons became the first guard in NBA history to miss 10+ free throws in a playoff game.
If you count him as a guard, that is.
(Submitted by @floatertrae) pic.twitter.com/see2o0mvLp
— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 17, 2021
Worst FT% by a player in a single playoff run (min 50 attempts):
27.3 — Ben Wallace in 2006
32.8 — Ben Simmons this playoffs
37.3 — DeAndre Jordan in 2016 pic.twitter.com/PLyx2QwG3s
— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 17, 2021
As usual, he got a lot of criticism from fans. And, one NBA analyst took things to the next level, claiming that the Sixers never had two superstars but one.
Bomani Jones took to Twitter to blast Simmons, saying that the only superstar the team had was Joel Embiid.
“Don’t wanna pile on Simmons, but the potential of the sixers hinged on the idea of having two superstars. it’s undeniable that they have a superstar and ben Simmons.”
that's because most of us never would expect anything from tobias harris. your fault if you tricked yourself into that. https://t.co/kgSPi9EMr7
— bomani (@bomani_jones) June 17, 2021
He wasn’t happy with Simmons’ performance. Even when somebody pointed out that Tobias Harris had a bad game, too, Jones stated that Harris isn’t expected to show up for this team.
don't wanna pile on simmons, but the potential of the sixers hinged on the idea of having two superstars. it's undeniable that they have a superstar and ben simmons.
— bomani (@bomani_jones) June 17, 2021
In the second half:
Tobias Harris 0-4 FG
Ben Simmons 0-1 FG, 2-6 FT
Only Joel Embiid and Seth Curry made a field goal for the Sixers after halftime. pic.twitter.com/q1cqEBCdcx
— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 17, 2021
The Sixers are now on the verge of getting eliminated from the playoffs after finishing the season as the top-seeded in the East. Trae Young and co. have demonstrated they are a tough rival, and this Friday will try to close things out at State Farm Arena. When everybody believed it was ‘Sixers in 5,’ Atlanta stood up to surprise Philly and the rest of the league.
