“What was the biggest thing they wanted him to do? Shoot 3’s or free throws….it had been so long, and there was no changes” - Joel Embiid on the 76ers fans turning on Ben Simmons
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid shed light for the first time on the fans' frustration meted out to Ben Simmons. The constant booing and lack of faith in Simmons is partly why the guard forced an exit with his holdout this season.
This is what Simmons was referring to when he said that he needed a conducive environment in order to function. Some have criticized him for being too soft and not being open and ready to receive feedback in a bid to grow his game. Most players, if not all, have been booed at one time in their careers.
On "The Old Man & The Three" podcast, Embiid said that all the 76ers fans wanted from Simmons was to see growth and an improved shooting percentage.
"You know how much they wanted him to shoot the ball, how much they wanted him to be better in their own ways," Embiid said. "He's a great basketball player. He does so much stuff on the basketball court that people should pay attention to. But they also felt like from year one to whatever year that was from, like, they didn't see any improvement."
Joel Embiid revealed why the Philadelphia 76ers fans turned on Ben Simmons.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid revealed that fans only wanted to be a part of Ben Simmons' growth. They had encouraged him to shoot more from the field and also in aiding his ailing mother and family.
Simmons rarely shot outside the paint, even in his fourth season in Philadelphia. The defensive standout is shooting 14.7% from 3-point range in his career.
Should Ben Simmons' absence be a part of Joel Embiid's MVP case?
"The 76ers could've easily went into a mental and emotional funk and Embiid made sure they didn't do that. I do think that's a factor bc it effected the play on the court." — @Chris_Broussard https://t.co/InomJvxdVm
The center said that all they were looking for was growth in his game. The absence of growth led to harsh words and booing gestures.
"I think that's the way I kind of understand," Embiid said. "Because even when you look back at all the years, what was the biggest thing they wanted him to do? Shoot 3's or free throws or whatever that was. So I think that they just felt like it had been so long, and there was no changes.
"I think that's what kind of started the whole thing about, you know, everybody being mad and all that stuff. But I feel like I think he embraced them. I don't know if they felt like he was genuine or whatever, but I feel like he embraced them.