Ben Simmons certainly has his faults. But his value is undeniable.
The Situation
Ben Simmons has been on the trading block for a while now. To jog your memory, Simmons got into this mess after a serious meltdown against the Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semis. There was the Game 7 pass-instead-of-dunk incident. Plus, his numbers were a lot lower than the First Round. And...33% from the FT line. I'd like to add he nearly averaged a trippy-dubby in the First Round. He was subsequently thrown under the bus by coaches and teammates, which is shitty.
Simmons wants out of Philly but has four years left on his contract; the Sixers want something in return commensurate with his perceived value. Apparently there have been some solid offers on the table that the Sixers rejected. The general consensus is what they're asking for is just too steep. Recently, Sacramento exited trade talks after the Sixers wanted Tyrese Haliburton and multiple first-round picks.
Let me also mention a few things about Simmons:
- #1 pick in 2016 (missed first season with foot injury)
- 3x All-Star
- Led the 76ers to the playoffs in each of his four seasons
- 2nd in DPOY last season - 2x All Defensive First Team
- Career averages of 15.9 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 7.7 APG. Pretty good!
- 56% from the field (14% from deep, ouch)...under 60% from the FT line. Ouch, again.
So, I think we can all agree that the 6'11 point guard is truly an incredible player despite his shooting woes from 15 feet and out, including FTs FFS.
Back to the reason I am writing this...Are the 76ers asking for too much?
Stay Strong, Philly
I say, "NO." In my eyes, he is a very valuable player to have on your team and Daryl Morey is right in asking for "a lot." He does everything so well on both sides of the ball except shooting jumpers...which is essential in today's NBA. I don't think this diminishes his value very much, as it is well known and likely cannot get much worse. Imagine his value if he started bangin' home 3s?
He punishes teams in transition, finishes at the rim at a very high rate, is one of the best passers in the league, and can guard 1-5. That's a ton of value. Simmons can make any team better with his dynamic skill set and ability to cover almost anyone on the court. I'd like a guy who ganks 1.6 SPG and causes 3.5 deflections per game (last season).
Anyways, I think Simmons will remain a 76er for the time being. We're fast approaching the February 10th trade deadline; perhaps the reeling Nets will swoop in? After the season, there will inevitably be early playoff exits and angry front offices and stars. That is when we will see a trade finalized with Ben Simmons...Ben Simmons for a stud + role guy + first-round pick.
For now, we will just wait and see.
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