Every day is seems like there’s new information about the Ben Simmons drama in Philadelphia. It’s been clear all offseason that Simmons wants out of Philly, but the longer it goes on the more sour public perception and teammate relationships have gotten.
Recently, Joel Embiid spoke publicly about his disappointment in Simmons. After initially stepping to the plate for Simmons and advocating him as a fun teammate to play with, Embiid has since come out and said “at this point I don’t care about that man.”
Similarly, fellow Sixers player Danny Green has spoken to the media about Simmons.
“Just come in, be a pro, do your job, and that's what we expect.” Green said. “If you apologize, it's cool. But you guys work with people every day, and you don't expect an apology for people not showing up because of family issues, sickness, or whatever it may be. They come in, and they do their job."
As the saga drags on, Simmons seems to be losing more and more people from his corner. While the depth of this drama would have been hard to predict, character issues shouldn’t come as a total surprise. In fact, ahead of the 2016 NBA Draft in which Simmons was selected 1st overall, draft analyst Jonathan Givony penned a scouting report that may have seemed scolding at the time, but has since proven to have hit with pinpoint accuracy.
Givony joined WIP Morning Show in Philadelphia to discuss the scouting report, in which he clarifies he doesn’t necessarily think it was a mistake for Philly to have selected Simmons. Despite the character concerns, the 2016 Draft Class was so weak that Simmons was still likely worth the risk at #1 overall.
The most notable names drafted after Simmons would be Brandon Ingram (#2 overall), Jaylen Brown (#3 overall). Jamal Murray (#7 overall) Domantas Sabonis (#11 overall), Pascal Siakam (#27 overall), Dejounte Murray (#29 overall), and Malcolm Brogdon (#36 overall).
(H/T Jonathan Givony)
