Like every year, Basket USA offers you a presentation of the upcoming NBA season, franchise by franchise, in the form of a countdown, from the 30th place to our favorite for the title of champion. Today, it’s time for the Sixers, mired in a particularly complicated showdown with Ben Simmons.
The leader thus dries up the “training camp” after requesting his transfer during the summer. Since the arrival of Daryl Morey at the head of the club, the Australian and his entourage have understood that Joel Embiid was the central element in Pennsylvania. The leader could undoubtedly have been exchanged for James Harden, but it was ultimately his last playoff campaign, and this failed series against the Hawks in the conference semifinals, which resulted in the divorce.
Except that if Ben Simmons wants to leave, his contract runs until 2025, and Daryl Morey has never been afraid of powder, while he does not want to give up his All-Star by weakening in the short term. What create an explosive situation, which could parasitize the team for many more weeks. Even long months.
The trauma of the last playoffs
However, with first place in the Eastern Conference, Doc Rivers and Daryl Morey had won their bet in the regular season. The adjustments of the two men’s first offseason had paid off, with the departure of Al Horford and the arrival of Seth Curry or Danny Green to rule out the game around Joel Embiid.
The Cameroonian was therefore smiling again, even finishing in 2nd place in the votes for the MVP trophy, behind Nikola Jokic. Except that in the playoffs, the limits of this group quickly reappeared. With Ben Simmons paralyzed on free throws and an attack that lacked diversity on placed play, Philadelphia never found its rhythm, losing too much of the ball to be able to be really effective and dismiss Atlanta.
This Game 7 lost at home has left a lot of traces. Among the fans, who saw their team disintegrate before their eyes, but also of course in the group, the response of Doc Rivers at a press conference, which explained “not knowing” if Ben Simmons could be the leader of a team that was aiming for the title having visibly finished convincing the player that it was time to leave.
The coach may now explain that it is a misunderstanding, and that he simply wanted to avoid answering questions of this type, the fact that the quarrel has been going on for months makes any reconciliation quite illusory. The Sixers and the point guard have had all summer to straighten things out. It is not in the middle of “training camp”, when we are attacking the home stretch before the start, that everything will be settled with a wave of a magic wand.
And now ?
For Doc Rivers and his group, we must now prepare for the recovery without Ben Simmons, an All-Star, candidate for the title of best defender in the league last year, who sets the pace on the fast game.
It’s a whole balance to be rebuilt, in a blurry situation. What if, in a few days, Ben Simmons finally decides to fly back to Pennsylvania? How to welcome it? How to re-integrate it so late, if it is possible? The issues are thus extremely numerous, difficult and delicate.
The problem is, this is really not the right time for Daryl Morey to set up a trade. We must undoubtedly wait and see how certain situations (Portland? Washington?) Evolve for interesting exchange currencies to become available. But it could take weeks or even months, and the Sixers’ situation could be problematic then. Can the Philadelphia club play the watch, even if it means putting themselves in danger for a large part of their season? If the leaders choose this path, who will defend on wingers and strong wingers like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum and company?
There are no simple answers to all these questions, and that’s why the situation is so complex …
THE SUMMER MOVEMENTS
Arrivals : Jaden Springer and Charles Bassey (Draft), Andre Drummond (Lakers), Georges Niang (Jazz),
Re-signatures : Danny Green
Departures : George Hill (Bucks), Dwight Howard (Lakers), Mike Scott, Anthony Tolliver
THE PLAYER TO WATCH: BEN SIMMONS
At this point, it is doubtful that a reconciliation is possible between Ben Simmons and the Sixers. However, this is not impossible, and we have already seen situations of almost formalized divorce being reversed.
But at this stage, the Australian, supported by his entourage and his agent, Rich Paul, seems indeed decided to go to the end of his separation process, and he has just put up for sale the house he held since 2018.
If the All-Star is really ready to give up a large chunk of his salary to no longer play in front of the Sixers fans, or play alongside Joel Embiid, Philadelphia will have no choice but to transfer him. The problem is to find the best possible counterpart.
AVERAGE AGE: 25 years old
MASS OF PAY: 141.7 million dollars (8th out of 30)
THE IDEAL SCENARIO
Joel Embiid is extremely recovered and crushes everything in his path at the start of the season, despite the absence of Ben Simmons. The team holds up without its Australian while it is the stampede in Portland (or Washington). Daryl Morey takes the opportunity to quickly recover Damian Lillard (or Bradley Beal) and the team is finally doing well.
With a second All-Star whose game sticks more to that of Joel Embiid, at least offensively, the Sixers have a very big second part of the season, and as they have limited the breakage in the first weeks, they are approaching the playoffs in the first Eastern Conference places, with increased confidence in their ability to shine in postseason games, when play slows down and defenses tighten.
WORST SCENARIO
Ben Simmons isn’t giving in and the situations in Portland and Washington aren’t problematic enough to force Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal to claim a transfer quickly.
Under these conditions, it’s complicated for the Sixers, especially since Joel Embiid’s knees are again a problem. Daryl Morey’s wait-and-see strategy backfires completely, as Philadelphia accumulates defeats without its two All-Stars. The Philadelphia president has to get over it and trade Ben Simmons, but the trade is far too late, and the compensation not at all what he hoped for.
Doc Rivers’ troupe can still hope to play the “play-in” at the end of the campaign, but the chances of creating a surprise are slim, and it’s a lost year overall in Pennsylvania.
