"We’re gonna provide all the resources and get Ben what he needs" Daryl Morey claims the Philadelphia 76ers are doing all they can to get Ben Simmons playing again
The Philadelphia 76ers’ chief of basketball operations Daryl Morey recently claimed in an interview that things are heading in a positive direction with respect to their talks with Ben Simmons. The no. 1 pick of the 2016 NBA draft, Ben Simmons, was feared to have undergone a relationship breakthrough with fans and the front office after his playoff performances came under the scanner last season.
Simmons was said to be looking for a move away, with the Philadelphia 76ers spending a majority of the offseason searching for a deal that they thought was fair. However, having failed to do so, Simmons returned to training last week only to be sent home again when he refused to participate in a defensive drill that coach Doc Rivers asked him to be a part of. The relationship between the two parties has been assumed to be on the verge of breaking up. Daryl Morey has provided an update, claiming that the Philadelphia 76ers’ fans might still be able to see Simmons play for the team, soon.
"The Sixers are going to find out more about themselves against the Knicks ... than they did in their first three games combined. With or without Ben Simmons, they are a less talented team than the Nets," writes sports columnist @inkstainedretch.
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Daryl Morey claims the Philadelphia 76ers are doing everything they can to get Ben Simmons playing for them again
The latest incident resulted in Simmons being sent home and suspended for a game. His teammate and 2021 NBA MVP contender Joel Embiid claimed that he was “done talking about Simmons.” This was the first time a teammate or any Philadelphia 76ers’ employee spoke against Simmons publicly. Regardless, as far as Daryl Morey is concerned, the situation has not yet resulted in a total breakdown of relationships. Morey recently spoke to NBC Philadelphia about the off-court issues that Ben Simmons was dealing with:
Ben came in at the end of last week and said he had back stiffness. And he has he’s dealing with some personal reasons off the court. Both we take very seriously. We’re working with them to provide every resource to help them with what is needed. And, you know, he spoke to his teammates, you know, things seem to be moving very much in a positive direction.”
Daryl Morey: Things Moving In Positive Direction With Ben Simmons, 76ers - Hoops Wire hoopswire.com/daryl-morey-th…
Simmons was thrown out of practice and later skipped an individual workout due to a back issue. However, Morey claimed that quite a few of his teammates are still supporting him through the crisis. The Philadelphia 76ers have also stopped fining Ben Simmons for sitting out. According to Morey, the franchise is doing all they can to get Simmons playing for them again:
“We’re gonna provide all the resources and get Ben what he needs and get them out there as soon as we can.”
This appears to be a huge u-turn from the organization, as the 76ers were rumored to be looking to offload Ben Simmons all summer. But that never ended up happening, which has led to Simmons being forced to make his way back. Fans might still have to wait for quite some to see Simmons play for the team again. However, the latest update suggests that a return might end up happening sooner than expected.