Frustrating saga of Simmons continues
Ben Simmons’s career changed on one play, when he feared being fouled late in Game 7 of the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals and instead forced a pass to teammate Matisse Thybulle.
The 76ers shockingly lost that game, and series, to the Hawks. The 76ers, led by first-year coach Doc Rivers, were equipped to face the Bucks in the conference finals. But Simmons’s sudden offensive ineptitude hindered the 76ers in the series. And then Rivers openly acknowledged he was unsure if Simmons would be his starting point guard the next season.
That prompted Simmons to sit out the next season, refusing to play for Philadelphia despite having just signed a five-year maximum extension. The 76ers finally traded him to the Nets for James Harden, and Simmons was supposed to start fresh.
His stint in Brooklyn has been an injury-filled disaster. He’s played in 57 games over one-plus season because of back issues, conditioning issues, and other injuries, and now the Nets announced he will miss the rest of the season to examine the nature of his back issues.
To say Simmons is a shell of the player who was named Rookie of the Year six years ago is a gross understatement. He is useless offensively and when he does make a defensive impact for a game or two, he needs a couple of weeks off because of back or knee issues.
The Nets are in a real quandary because Simmons has zero trade value unless a team wants his $40 million expiring contract for next season for the salary-cap relief. The Nets could buy him out and move on or try to see if a team is willing to send them an unwanted contract for Simmons, who is not likely to play much next season.
Simmons is an example of a player who may enjoy the NBA life but not the NBA game. One of the primary complaints players of the past have about today’s players is that because of the exorbitant salaries, they are able to determine when they want to play. Simmons’s contract is guaranteed. He’s going to get paid whether he plays or not as long as he doesn’t violate the conduct clauses of his contract.
There have been many players in the league’s history who essentially shut it down or were never the same player after signing a lucrative contract. When the National Basketball Players Association decided in 2016 against the NBA’s idea of smoothing out the salary cap over several seasons, a handful of free agents that summer were rewarded with bloated contracts. Players such as
Joakim Noah, Evan Turner, Timofey Mozgov, Luol Deng, Jeremy Lin, Chandler Parsons, Kent Bazemore, Solomon Hill, Bismack Biyombo, and Ryan Anderson signed lucrative contracts because of that bump in basketball-related income.
And many of those players were either traded during those contracts or never finished out the deals. Simmons’s desire to play has been questioned since his Philadelphia days. He was tabbed a can’t-miss prospect out of Louisiana State and was the No. 1 overall pick in 2016, the same draft that produced Jaylen Brown.
Simmons became an impactful player with his ability to defend, push the pace as a 6-foot-10-inch point guard, and attack the rim. But his inability to hit free throws caused him to pass up scoring opportunities late in crucial games, most notably that Game 7 against the Hawks.
Simmons has not been the same player since and it’s doubtful he will be able to revive his career as he approaches 28. One of the reasons the Nets have held on to Simmons is his contract, which has become an albatross, clogging the club’s opportunity to retool.
Because Simmons is apparently willing to miss games, to sit on the bench in colorful, fashionable clothes and shades while his teammates play, has garnered him an unsavory reputation around the NBA. General managers are willing to take on injury risks but are skittish about players who may not have the desire to play when less than 100 percent.
Simmons’s story is disappointing because he displayed so much potential in his early years and deserved that maximum rookie extension he received from the 76ers. The next step for many of his brethren after that contract, such as Brown, is a full maximum deal that creates generational wealth.
But there are too many prospects in the NBA, players who play through injury, don’t hold out, or aren’t as adversely affected by criticism for teams to invest in Simmons, regardless of what potential remains. And his contract and issues are a microcosm of the mismanagement in Brooklyn under general manager Sean Marks.
The Nets are on another coach after firing Jacque Vaughn last month and they are in the precarious position of being too good to completely tank but far from talented enough to compete in the East. The plan was for Simmons to join Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Cam Thomas, and Nik Claxton and compete for a top-six seed. But those plans never came to fruition and the Nets may have to continue paying Simmons not to play because either he can’t or just doesn’t want to.