Do you remember ? Before being the problem of the Nets, Ben Simmons was that of the Sixers. Guest in the John Kincade Show, Georges Niang looked back on the point guard’s last season in Philadelphia.
At the end of a difficult playoff campaign, punctuated by an elimination against the Hawks, the situation between the player and the franchise was very tense. Simmons initially refused to rejoin the group, before taking a more legitimate withdrawal linked to mental health crises. It is in this context that the former first choice of the 2016 draft was sent to Brooklyn, in exchange for James Harden.
With this file on their hands, the Sixers could not hope to embark on the 2021-2022 season at full speed. The Ben Simmons puzzle was the front office priority until the trade deadline. The absence of such difficulties is, in Niang’s eyes, the main difference between last year’s team and this year’s team.
“Ben Simmons handicapped us at the start of last year”begins his former teammate, just to put his feet directly in the dish. “I don’t know how much he earns, but it’s a max contract. So you have to take that out of the budget, because he’s not playing, and the role players have to ramp up to replace [son apport].”
With Joel Embiid and James Harden, everything is rolling at the Sixers
Simmons’ transfer request threw the team into uncertainty. The uncertainty regarding the player’s future in the franchise, at first. The uncertainty concerning the whole roster, then. An unstable context in which victory becomes difficult to find.
“People don’t understand, the collective aspect is very important. […] Last year was tough because you didn’t know who you had (in the team). The trade deadline arrived and everyone was wondering who would go with him. [dans un transfert]. You had this uncomfortable feeling”says Georges Niang.
This season, the Sixers have certainly recorded the departure of Matisse Thybulle and the arrival of Jalen McDaniels. These trades don’t have the face of the team as radically as Simmons and Harden’s trade last year, however.
Now Philadelphia is more table. This is reflected in the balance sheet, with four more wins and therefore four fewer defeats than in 2021-2022 at the same stage. Worn by the duo Joel Embiid — James Harden, the 76ers are all about a contender.
“You know who you go to war with every night. I feel comfortable with the pieces we have because we have very good players in this dressing room”concludes Niang.
At the Nets, the role of Ben Simmons remains an enigma
