After all, he has not played an NBA game in almost 10 months. Of course, Simmons is not expected to reach any great heights should he return to the court this playoff series. Suns thump Pels, Tatum edges Nets | 02:25 “He was supposed to be that franchise player that helps deliver a championship to Philadelphia and it seemed like one day that might happen, but something behind the scenes went wrong.” The reason they’re so disappointed with it now is because of the ‘what ifs’. “When he gets out in transition, he’s hard to stop. Outside of that, Ben is an exciting player. Obviously it had shortcomings in the playoffs in the second round. Him and Joel Embiid were an exciting duo to watch. “Contrary to popular belief, he had a lot of support here and I think people really wanted him to work out. “As a whole, he gave the city a lot of excitement,” Grasso said. That is what made the ending to Simmons’ time in Philadelphia so disappointing. Simmons, along with Joel Embiid, were the crown jewels of ‘The Process’, the scheme that was supposed to deliver long-suffering Philadelphia fans their first championship since 1983. Kyrie cracks, flips Boston the bird! | 00:23 “Honestly, not ludicrous, the talent level is comparable and the ability to be so widely-skilled at 6-foot-10 is elite and special.” He sits out his first year due to injury and then comes in and is a sensational two-way player who wins Rookie of the Year and he’s an All-Star and flashes talent that made comparisons to someone like Magic Johnson. “As far as what happened in Philadelphia, a lot of folks will be highly disappointed he didn’t fulfill his potential. “This would be a prominent chapter in his story but he is 25 years old and he should have a lot of great basketball still left in him,” Levick said.
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images/AFP Source: AFP Ben Simmons is in the right environment in Brooklyn. “He still has a chance to write the story of his career,” NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Noah Levick said.į spoke to Levick, along with fellow Sixers reporter Justin Grasso and Nets beat writer Alec Sturm to get a sense for what Simmons’ new start at the Nets means in the context of his career.Īs someone who has followed the Simmons experience from the moment he was drafted into the NBA, Levick said the Australian had proved he was “special” early in his career. While it is past the point of Simmons redeeming himself in the eyes of the Sixers faithful, his potential return to the court for the Brooklyn Nets represents a new opportunity entirely. It is unfortunate that for all he did achieve while at Philadelphia, the lasting memory will be what he didn’t do. Mike Stobe/Getty Images/AFP Source: AFPĮxpectations were high and Simmons’ talents were immense. NBA PLAYOFF PREVIEW: The burning question for EVERY team Ben Simmons after being drafted with the first overall pick. And they just want you to give maximum effort, that’s it.” “Play every game like it’s your last, and they will love you… these are the greatest fans ever. “In Philadelphia? You better give it everything you’ve got,” Iverson told PhillyVoice at the time. When Simmons was drafted with the first overall pick in 2016, it came with a word of advice from Sixers legend Allen Iverson. What followed from there - the seven-month standoff and missed practices, meetings and preseason games - only further soured public opinion. It was a split-second decision that spoke to the Australian’s shortcomings as a whole, of his reluctance to own the big moments and be the final piece of Philadelphia’s championship puzzle. Big man is NIMBLE! Embiid shreds Raptors | 01:01
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