The Philadelphia 76ers season came to a bitter end once again. They were heavily favored to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals and blew two double-digit leads against the Atlanta Hawks, eventually losing in seven games.
It’s not a secret that Sixers fans are as fierce as they’re passionate. They booed their team at the Wells Fargo Center, especially Ben Simmons, who was their biggest liability throughout the series.
Nonetheless, it seems like the former first-overall pick is still looking forward to staying at the City of Brotherly Love, as he says that he loves the fans and the organization:
“Yeah, I love being in Philly. I love this organization. The fans are great people. I had a bad series. I expect that (boos). It’s Philly,” Simmons told the media, as quoted by Michael Scott.
Ben Simmons was asked if he wants to stay with the 76ers. He replied, “Yeah, I love being in Philly. I love this organization. The fans are great people. I had a bad series. I expect that (boos). It’s Philly.” pic.twitter.com/c6DwoPMU9L
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) June 21, 2021
Simmons was unplayable late in the series. He didn’t attempt a single shot in the fourth quarter of the last 3 games and didn’t even average 10 points per game.
Perhaps the biggest turning point was when he passed on a wide-open dunk attempt and gave the ball to Mattise Thybulle out of the fear of being fouled and having to earn the two points from the free throw line.
There’s no denying Ben Simmons’ talent or impact but he hasn’t progressed since his rookie year. He hasn’t worked on his flaws, and he continues to be the same player he was when he entered the league. That’s not what you want out of a guy you signed for over $150 million and that’s supposed to be one of the faces of the franchise.
Hopefully, he’ll be able to turn things around and prove his worth again. But whether that happens in Philly and next to Joel Embiid or not is yet to be seen.
