After the Sixers’ heartbreaking Game 7 loss on Sunday, Ben Simmons was the man on the spot, as his play over the past few months has demonstrated some concerning tendencies.
Instead of simply being a poor shooter, Ben has pretty much lost his confidence — as evidenced by his poor free-throw shooting and refusal to take open shots.
In the post-game press conference, Doc Rivers was asked if he still thinks the young star can be the point guard of a Championship team. His answer was less than ideal:
Rivers on if he still believes Simmons can be a title winning point guard: "I don't know the answer to that question right now."
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) June 21, 2021
Ben himself even took some of the blame:
Ben Simmons: "Offensively I wasn't there, I didn't do enough for my teammates."
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) June 21, 2021
It’s going to be a long and grueling offseason for the youngster and his team, but it could be an opportunity for him to work on his game, get his mind right, and gain back the confidence that he has lost.
Simmons: "We lost, it sucks, I am who I am, it is what it is, it's not easy to win…first thing I'm going to do is clear my mind and get my mental right."
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) June 21, 2021
Despite Ben’s struggles, he is still one of the best and most talented young players in the league. He’s a great defender, expert playmaker, and fantastic finisher.
But unless he can learn to start being more aggressive offensively, and take the occasional jump shot, he’s always going to be a liability on the floor.
Whether it’s with the Sixers or some other team, Simmons has a lot of work to do before he can start living up to his potential.
