It’s been a taxing month for Sixers star Ben Simmons, whose playoff struggles have led many to question his future in Philadelphia. With trade rumors swirling (the three-time All-Star has already been linked to Minnesota, Portland and Golden State), coach Brian Goorjan confirmed Monday that Simmons will not be representing his native Australia in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.
“It is a pretty rough time for him right now and I know it is something that he wanted to do, but the timing just hasn’t worked,” said Goorjan in a press release shared by Australia Basketball. “The best thing for everybody right now is for him to go on and develop that skill package and improve in a couple of areas for his next season in the NBA, but the Boomers are always here for him. We wanted him to know that in his time of need, the culture and the guys here are behind him and support him.”
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Clearly Simmons, who finished runner-up to Utah’s Rudy Gobert in Defensive Player of the Year voting this season, has been affected by the criticism surrounding his recent shooting woes. The former Rookie of the Year appeared to lose his confidence in Philadelphia’s second-round playoff series against Atlanta, shying away from shooting (he didn’t attempt a single field goal in the fourth quarter of Games 4-7) while imploding at the free-throw line (34.2 percent in the playoffs). Simmons’ catastrophic postseason has been examined ad nauseam by concerned fans and media members, with discussions ranging from the 24-year-old’s flawed shooting technique (many have posited he’s not actually left-handed) to what position he should occupy on the court (is it time for Simmons to abandon his beloved point guard and reinvent himself as a post player?).
Arriving at a career crossroads, it’s no surprise that Simmons, who also declined an invite to the 2016 Games held in Rio, would be hesitant to suit up for his country so soon after the playoffs. Spurs veteran Patty Mills, who will compete in his fourth Olympics next month, said he and his Australian teammates support Simmons’ decision. “The number one fact and characteristic of our group is how we support each other through the good, bad and ugly, whatever it may be, and Ben isn’t an exception to that,” expressed Mills. “No matter what he does, myself and the team will continue to support him because this is a safe place—everyone needs to know and understand that now more than ever, we need to support Ben on his journey."
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