NBA: Playing smoke or fire with NBA superstar trade rumors

Playing smoke or fire: Ben Simmons

The term “superstar” is unfairly applied here, but by objective metrics, Ben Simmons is undeniably a star player. In just four seasons he has made three All-Star teams, was an All-NBA player in 2019-20, made two All-Defense First Teams and was the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year just this past season.

The problem is that for all of his strengths, Simmons has a glaring flaw: he cannot, and will not, shoot. He refuses to take 3-pointers, eschews most kinds of jumpers from anywhere on the court, and not only shoots free throws poorly but changes his game inside to avoid the possibility of being fouled. This came to a head in the playoffs when he avoided an open dunk to pass away the ball to a teammate in traffic.

Failing in front of a national audience is incredibly damaging to a player’s popular reputation, and it’s easy to write Simmons off as a worthless player. Yet while his greatest flaw was amplified by the crucible of the playoffs and the difficulties of playing alongside a post-up center, Simmons is still a highly positive player whose weaknesses could be mitigated in the right situation.

It’s up to the Philadelphia front office to find that situation and extract fair value for Simmons because it has become clear he and Embiid are not built to elevate each other’s games but instead often hinder one another. Once the 76ers find the right deal they will most likely pull the trigger. The odds of Simmons playing another game for the 76ers is less than 30 percent.

Verdict: Fire