Ben Simmons has been under heavy scrutiny from fans and media members alike in the wake of the Philadelphia 76ers’ second-round exit from the playoffs. Many people have brought up Ben Simmons’ lack of aggression as one of the reasons the Philadelphia 76ers lost the series against the Atlanta Hawks.
While there is no question that Ben Simmons does have some glaring weaknesses in his game, there are still a lot of things that he does very well. His elite defense and versatility on that end made him a top 3 DPOY candidate this season, and his playmaking in transition often leads to open looks for his teammates. However, his scoring is still a concern for many.
There has obviously been a lack of development in Ben Simmons’ offensive game, and many have suggested that it’s his fault for not improving. However, Gilbert Arenas believes there may be an organizational factor there as well. When talking to Matt Barnes during an episode of Arenas’ No Chill Podcast, Arenas detailed how the 76ers coaching played a role in what Ben Simmons became (3:36).
The bad part about it is, they don’t want to blame themselves for what he became. You’re talking about a guy who is 6’11, can get to the basket anytime he wants. He’s the point guard that is coming downhill, long, can jump. Really, he’s unguardable if his mentality was “I’m gonna go out and score 40.”
So when you’re doing post up plays where he’s passing it to Embiid and his man is sagging… My thing was with Doc: what f*cking plays are you running when he’s in… The fact that you’re not smart enough to say “Hey, Ben Simmons. F*cking just drive. Just go score. 1-4 flat”… The fact that you’re not actually using him. The fact that you’re not “Greek-the-Freaking” this dude tells me another story too… My thing is he took 5 shots, that’s coaching too. You’re not getting him involved… he’s at the point where it’s more mental than anything.
Ben Simmons still has a lot of potential. His time with the Philadelphia 76ers looks to be over though, as it has been reported that Ben Simmons intends to never play a game for the 76ers again. However, he could definitely find basketball success elsewhere, and hopefully, he gets the opportunity to do so.
It remains to be seen where Ben Simmons will end up playing next season, and he has been put in various trade rumors that have linked him to a myriad of different teams. His talent is worth the gamble. It’s understandable that teams may have some reservations about trading for him, but he would definitely be able to be a good contributor to many teams.
