Stephen A. Smith has had issues with Ben Simmons for a long time. He believes that the guard hasn’t lived up to his potential, and has played a role in making others around him look ball. He even blamed him for Joel Embiid’s failure to make it to the Conference Finals, stating that if it wasn’t for him, the 76ers might have made it that far at least once since drafting the center.
Advertisement
Simmons, who played for the 76ers from 2016 to 2022, averaged 13.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.5 assists in 34 playoff games. While those numbers aren’t half bad, the analyst believes his inability to convert jump shots, free throws, and even layups was the reason for Philadelphia’s playoff failures. He said,
“Why Joel Embiid has yet to get to a Conference Finals or an NBA Finals and obviously not having won a championship? That damn Ben Simmons. I’ve had enough. I’m sure he’s a nice guy. I’m sure, Ben Simmons, hell of a player, couldn’t shoot but could do everything else.”
Smith claimed he empathized with those suffering from mental health issues but won’t allow Simmons to use it as an excuse as he saw the Australian guard get his checks, and sit courtside for games in street clothes. The analyst said that he has treated playing basketball like going to war.
Per Smith, the three-time All-Star’s injury excuses have been weak and unconvincing and he never believed in anything he said. He added,
“Ben Simmons severely disrupted the Philadelphia 76ers franchise and the same can be said for what he has done for Brooklyn.”
Simmons missed only four regular season games in his first two seasons in the NBA but has since failed to hit the 60-game mark. He was chastised for his horrendous performance against the Hawks in the 2021 playoffs and his career has dipped steeply since.
The guard sat out the entire 2022-23 season and was desperate to leave Philadelphia. The franchise traded him to the Brooklyn Nets to land James Harden, but the move didn’t help the former Rookie of the Year in the slightest. He has played only 57 games in the last two seasons and is entering the final 12 months of the five-year deal he signed with the 76ers in 2020.
Extending Simmons’ contract meant the franchise had to let Jimmy Butler leave and sign with the Heat, which in hindsight, proved to be a massive blunder.
Stephen A. Smith believes that the 76ers should’ve kept Butler
After losing in seven games in the second round of the 2019 playoffs against the Kawhi Leonard-led Toronto Raptors, the 76ers had no choice but to let Butler or Tobias Harris leave the franchise. Simmons’ new deal was scheduled to kick in and the team had enough money to afford only one of the two.
They opted for the latter, which, per Smith, cost the 76ers the chance to win the title. The analyst clarified that he is not trying to shade Harris as he’s on good terms with the forward. However, letting Butler leave severely impacted the 76ers’ chances of becoming an Eastern Conference powerhouse.
While Simmons, Embiid, and Harris failed to take Philadelphia past the second round, the veteran has led the Heat to two NBA Finals appearances. Had they retained Butler’s services, perhaps he would have served the city a championship parade. Instead, the 76ers let him go and saw five years go by. Now neither Simmons nor Harris are with the team heading into the 2024-25 season.
