"Ben called me afterwards, which I thought was great, and we had a good talk" - Doc Rivers on potential reason behind Ben Simmons' untimely exit from the Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers drafted Ben Simmons with the first pick of the 2016 draft. Alongside Joel Embiid, he was expected to lead the franchise to a championship, but things didn't go as planned for the Australian.
The Sixers finished top of the East during the 2020-21 season. However, they failed to defeat the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the playoffs. Critics blamed Ben Simmons for the defeat, with head coach Doc Rivers going on to make a controversial remark about the guard in one of the post-game interviews.
From that moment on, it was rumored that the Australian wanted to leave the team. On "The VC Show," Doc Rivers shed light on the events leading up to Simmons' exit. The coach said his critical comments did not play a role in the Australian's departure.
"One common thing had nothing to do with why Ben wanted to leave, alright, let me just say that. It was a lot of things that has been told to me, and, publically. Now that happened long before I got there.
"What frustrated me was that I still think it shouldn't have been enough to want to leave. I just didn't, and I told Ben, and I kept telling him that, 'This is not why you want to leave a team.'"
After the end of the 2020-21 season, Ben Simmons had four years left on his contract with the 76ers. However, he was adamant about leaving. The team wanted to keep him, but the three-time All-Star decided to sit out the season if required in order to force the team's hand.
Ngl this Ben Simmons play goes crazy 😳🔥 https://t.co/DQCDZQf1mF
Eventually, the 76ers were able to trade him for James Harden at the trade deadline. Rivers said that he believed he could have worked things out with Simmons, but that the Australian had already made up his mind.
"You work these things out. They didn't get worked out. Yeah we've had one talk; a long, long talk, Ben called me afterwards, which I thought was great, and we had a good talk, but the point was he was already leaving. Listen, I really believe, even though 99% of the people didnt, that we could made it work with Ben and Jo and the team."
What Ben Simmons biggest value will be for the Brooklyn Nets https://t.co/J51IbzZYAw
Simmons didn't play for the Brooklyn Nets last season due to a back injury, but he is expected to be back at full fitness next season.
6 years ago today
The 76ers selected Ben Simmons with the No. 1 pick. He won Rookie Of The Year in 2018, All-Star in 2019, All-Defensive First Team & All-NBA in 2020.
https://t.co/05zBXfU8hN
Can Ben Simmons be impactful with the Brooklyn Nets?
The Nets are in the middle of an offseason in which they could lose both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Nevertheless, they will receive a boost with the return of Ben Simmons heading into the 2022-23 season.
The Australian is one of the league's best defenders and can guard all positions. Simmons is also a great passer. His shooting has been a concern over the years, but he has worked on that aspect of his game.
Playoff Ben Simmons is special https://t.co/25UApbD4kc
If Irving and Durant decide to stay in Brooklyn and Simmons returns to his best, the team will be a force to be reckoned with.