Ben Simmons left the Philadelphia 76ers at last season’s trade deadline to become part of a super-team.
Now, exactly one year later, he’s the last player standing with the Brooklyn Nets.
The Nets dismantled their trio of superstars in rapid succession ahead of this season’s trade deadline, swiftly dealing Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks after his trade request and then sending Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns days later. A team that started the season with title aspirations moved swiftly into rebuilding mode, while the former Sixers star suddenly became what Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Keith Pompey called the “face” of the franchise.
Fresh Start from Sixers Took a Turn for Simmons
As Pompey noted, there was plenty of optimism for Simmons as he moved on from the Sixers last season. He would be able to take on a role in Brooklyn as a facilitator for Irving and Durant, which Pompey said seemed more suited to his abilities than the role he played in Philadelphia.
“No more battling Joel Embiid to be the face of the Sixers,” Pompey wrote. “No more being asked to step out of his comfort zone. The belief was that Simmons was set up for greatness playing alongside elite scorers Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.”
You tell me the last time you saw Ben Simmons directing traffic like this. Dinwiddie/Thomas stagger for Harris, Simmons flows right into a DHO when he comes off. Kick to Dinwiddie who drives the closeout, Simmons points for and gets the lob.
The change hasn’t worked out as intended Simmons has seen a significant dip in production across the board this season, registering career lows in points (7.3), rebounds (6.5) and assists (6.3) and minutes per game (27.1).
The unraveling of the Nets over the last few months — starting with the trade requests from Durant and Irving over the summer to the trades that shipped them away in the last week — showed that Simmons may have done better staying in Philadelphia, Pompey wrote.
“But as it turns out, Simmons would have been better off if he didn’t force a trade out of Philadelphia,” he wrote. “The grass isn’t always greener on the other side, and Simmons’ fate in Brooklyn is far from what he envisioned.”
Simmons Trade Worked Well for Sixers
While Simmons now faces an uncertain future in Brooklyn, last year’s trade has worked out well for the Sixers. The deal landed them James Harden, who is averaging 21.1 points per game while hitting a career-high 39% of his 3-pointers. Harden and MVP candidate Joel Embiid have helped push the Sixers to a 34-19 record, good for third in the Eastern Conference.
Though insiders have dissected the implosion of Brooklyn’s superteam and the reasons behind it, Harden didn’t seem to attach too much emotion to his move.
“It’s part of the business,” he said of the trade deadline, via USA Today’s Sixers Wire. “I mean, this happens every single year. I think, as a professional, you got to just go out there and do your job to the best of your ability and whatever happens, happens. Some things you really can’t control.”
Harden added the advice he gives to teammates at the trade deadline, especially those facing uncertain futures — focus only on the game.
“So just go out there and hoop,” Harden said. “Hoop and have fun, and whatever you do as a basketball player, whatever your position is, whatever your role is, go out there and do it to the best of your ability every single night and let it fall where it fall.”
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Ex-Sixers Star Unexpectedly Becomes the ‘Face’ of Rival Team