The biggest story of the NBA offseason has been the ugly divorce of Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers. But that may have clouded his legacy.
Simmons has received his share of criticism of late from fans, the media, executives around the league and even from his teammates. Even though many of those critiques have been fair, at this point we may have lost sight of what kind of player Simmons is when he is in his groove and playing his unique brand of basketball.
First, let’s offer a quick refresher. Since entering the league, in his first four seasons, Simmons has won Rookie of the Year and has also made three All-Star appearances as well as two First-Team All-Defense honors. That’s not exactly the resumé of someone who is a scrub.
He may not have performed to reach his expectations against the Atlanta Hawks in the postseason. His jump shot may never even become a part of his game in any meaningful way. Ultimately, both he and Philadelphia may be better off if he is not in their future plans.
But don’t let any of that make you lose sight of the positive contributions that Simmons is capable of providing to a basketball team, regardless of where he lands.