In the wake of his Game 7 disappointment (which came on the heels of similar debacles in Games 5 and 6), fans and media have predictably ripped Ben Simmons to shreds with the embattled Sixers guard achieving scapegoat status in a city that, for better or worse, is unusually demanding of its sports teams. That passion can serve as a double-edged sword with Philly fans worshiping and burying their sports idols in equal measure. It’s a frustrating dynamic for players, especially those enduring prolonged struggles like Simmons, a prolific athlete who, for the life of him, cannot make a jump shot.
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Simmons’ shooting woes were magnified in Sunday night’s Game 7 when the 24-year-old, feeling the effects of broken confidence, panicked by passing up an open dunk, a gaffe that teammate Joel Embiid identified as a “turning point” in Philadelphia’s season-ending loss to Atlanta. Simmons, a former first overall pick and linchpin of the team’s “Process” era, has shouldered most of the blame for the 76ers’ early exit, even when it was Embiid’s carelessness that led to a Danilo Gallinari dunk down the other end late in Game 7, hammering the final nail in Philadelphia’s postseason coffin.
Embiid has gotten somewhat of a free pass by virtue of his knee injury (he played through a torn meniscus in the second round), which could be a factor in the disproportionate response to Simmons’ playoff ineptitude. Simmons’ cavalier response to criticism probably won’t win him any new fans in Philly (his defiant “I am who I am” declaration may as well have been a shrug emoji), with many questioning whether the Australian’s heart is in it. Regardless, radio and podcast veteran Dan Le Batard feels sympathy for Simmons, even if he’s in the minority.
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“I think it’s an ugly part of that city. Their fandom is cruel. There’s a pride in how mean they can be. They file it under caring but it can be very cruel,” said Le Batard, alluding to Philadelphia’s rabid fan base Tuesday on The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz. “It was a moment of mental and human frailty.”
Simmons’ mental block, not wanting anything to do with shooting the basketball, has elicited strong responses from many including TNT’s Shaquille O’Neal, who said if Simmons were his teammate he would have “knocked his ass out.” Not exactly constructive criticism, though Embiid and coach Doc Rivers were similarly critical of Simmons in the aftermath of Game 7. Cognizant of how his words (made in the heat of the moment after a devastating, potentially franchise-altering defeat) came off, Rivers later backtracked, insisting the Sixers have a “plan” for Simmons going forward.
“To me, that’s where I felt bad for him,” said Le Batard, acknowledging a “disconnect” (and one that probably isn’t unique to Philadelphia) between fans and how they view their entertainers, as evidenced by recent incidents involving Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook. “The reason that reaches me, and none of you are surprised by this—you make fun of me all the time when I extend compassion to people who make millions of dollars—is like, oh my god, that must suck to be weak in front of that many people and for all of us to see it.”
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“Consider your weakest moments,” Le Batard continued. “Whatever you view them, whenever you’ve wept, whenever you’ve doubted, whenever it is you’ve felt self-loathing, whenever it is you couldn’t figure something out. And now put the pressure of a city, the pressure of a locker room, the pressure of a 1-seed on it.”
Simmons has four years remaining on a deal that, when all is said and done, will pay him over $170 million. He’s dated celebrities like Kendall Jenner. Simmons, as described by Le Batard, “looks physically and does things physically like no one you’ve ever met in your life.” But, as fans who expect perfection from their favorite athletes are quick to forget, he’s also a human being, and not immune to the unbearable pressure of a playoff Game 7. “[He struggled] in a way that was vulnerable in a city that isn’t going to be trusted with that vulnerability,” said Le Batard. “You never see your humanity that way from your superheroes.”
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In regard to Simmons, the Sixers will, as an organization, make whatever decision is best for their team going forward. That might mean parting ways with Simmons this offseason. And maybe Simmons didn’t do enough to get better, neglecting holes in his game that were exposed by Atlanta and Washington during the playoffs. Perhaps he is, as some have posited, a poor man’s Draymond Green, a defensive whiz who can handle the ball but won’t take the last shot. But you have to ask yourself, is this overwhelming wave of criticism directed at Simmons, who is still fairly early in his NBA development, really helping anyone, or is it simply lashing out at a player and team we all expected more from?
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