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Opinion
It’s sad but true but it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Ben Simmons could be out of the NBA within the next two years.
He basically has 24 games left this season to prove he is worth a franchise investing in him as he heads into the final two years of a contract worth a whopping $112 million ($US78m).
It’s arguably the worst contract in the NBA and unless Simmons reverses his recent form at Brooklyn, there will be no argument.
Last week’s dramatic trade deadline machinations should have been a godsend for Simmons.
The talk for several seasons, particularly when he took the reins in Philadelphia when Joel Embiid was injured, was that Simmons could succeed if he was surrounded by three and D wings who could capitalise on his elite playmaking skills.
Ben Simmons. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Just on two years ago to the day, he notched his career-high of 42 points for the 76ers against Utah when Embiid was out with a back injury.
Despite not taking a shot outside the paint, he landed 15 from 26 attempts, added 12 of 13 free throws, 12 assists and nine rebounds to just miss out on a triple double as he led a team of shooters like Tobias Harris, Seth Curry and Danny Green.
Where has that player gone?
Now that superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are no longer at the Nets, the team is in theory set up well to complement Simmons’ skills just like that night in Salt Lake City.
The likes of Suns trade pieces Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, and former Mavericks forward Dorian Finney-Smith, along with sharpshooters like Joe Harris, Cam Thomas, Seth Curry again and Boomers legend Patty Mills are the prototypes of the players you’d want on the floor when Simmons has the ball in his hands.
The 2016 No.1 draft pick was three years ago an all-NBA selection after making his third All-Star team so he ain’t no scrub. He can play, at least he could. His ongoing reluctance to even look at the rim in the half-court is moving into Ian Baker-Finch yips territory.
Such has been Simmons’ reticence to shoot or even drive to the basket this season because he’s worried about being sent to the foul line where his strike has been an abysmal 44%, Nets coach Jacque Vaughn has little to no confidence in the 26-year-old Australian.
After the loss to the Knicks earlier this week when he was hooked after 13 minutes of poor offensive output and lacklustre defence, Vaughn admitted he was struggling to figure out what kind of line-up works around Simmons.
“You put another big next to Ben, then you got to figure out what the spacing is around him. Then, if you put another playmaker next to him, then you got to figure out what Ben looks like without the basketball. Then, if you go small with Ben, then you have to figure out can you rebound enough with him?”
In short, there is no line-up that works with a player who refuses to shoot and is no longer an elite defensive presence.
Vaughn handed Simmons 20 minutes in Thursday’s victory over Miami – he was probably lucky to get that much after putting up just two points, four rebounds and as many assists.
The new crew of Bridges, Spencer Dinwiddie and Johnson partnered with Nic Claxton, who has superseded Simmons as the team’s premier defensive option, and Royce O’Neale down the stretch when the match was on the line as Simmons watched on from his now customary position on the bench.
Does he even like basketball? Is he one of those professional sports stars who do it because they’re good at it rather than because they love it?
If he continues down this path, he may not have that choice.
No longer a starter, his trade value has never been lower and even if he manages to find a niche in the closing months of the season, the Nets would have to attach an asset like a first-round pick or two that they acquired from Phoenix to offload Simmons.
The great Chris Anstey, a fun follow on Twitter, has been putting out Aussies in the NBA Power Rankings – he’s ranking Simmons sixth of 10 at the moment.
And the only thing stopping Simmons from sliding to last is the limited minutes being handed out to Mills, Sacramento’s Matthew Dellavedova and Dener’s Jack White along with New Orleans rookie Dyson Daniels’ ankle injury.
After so many false dawns over the past 18 months, Simmons has to realise his career is on the line.
If he makes the necessary changes in his mindset to become the player he was just a couple of years ago, he could spend another decade in the league to become Australia’s greatest NBA product.
But if this season is indicative of the rest of his career, he’s going to be copping a massive paycut in 2025 if/when he signs his next deal and could be reduced to a journeyman back-up big who bounces around franchises before becoming an afterthought.
For a player with that much natural talent, it would be a sad end to what started out as such a promising career.