Ben Simmons, the former number-one overall pick for the Philadelphia 76ers, has faced a lot of adversity in the past few years. Drafted in 2016, expectations were high for Simmons. He averaged 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists for his one season with the LSU Tigers. Simmons had a successful stint with the 76ers before completely falling off the map. Let’s dive into how Simmons can rejuvenate his career.
From Fame to Fall-Off: How Ben Simmons Can Redeem His NBA Career
Rookie Season
In his rookie season, Simmons put the league on notice after sitting out the 2016-17 season due to injury. Simmons was named the 2017-18 Rookie of the Year. He had an incredible season with 15.8 points, 8.2 assists, and 8.1 rebounds per game. Simmons showed his ability to do just about anything on the court, drawing comparisons to Magic Johnson and even LeBron James.
Simmons had an incredible playoff debut, averaging 18.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 9.0 assists in a 4-1 series victory against the Miami Heat in the 2018 playoffs. Despite losing to the Celtics the following series, optimism was high in Philadelphia.
Lost Confidence
Simmons continued to dominate the NBA the following three seasons, making three consecutive NBA All-Star Games. Notably, Simmons also finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2020-21. Simmons started to deal with knee and back injuries. These injuries seemed to catch up to him in the second round of the 2021 playoffs, which began his downfall. Despite averaging a double-double in the series against the Washington Wizards in the first round, he went on to have the worst playoff series in his career against the Atlanta Hawks.
Simmons has always struggled with his shooting, even at the free-throw line. His struggles at the line turned into a complete disaster class in the 2021 playoffs. While his statistics were solid in the Wizards series, he shot just 35.7% from the free-throw line. This lack of confidence carried into the Hawks series, where he shot 15 out of 45 (33.3 percent) from the charity stripe. His confidence was so low that in the seven-game series, Simmons attempted under five field goals in three of the games.
Trailing by two points late in the fourth quarter of game seven, Simmons had a spin move around Danilo Gallinari to leave him wide open under the basket. Instead of taking the layup, Simmons passed out of the shot. The rest is history. The Sixers went on to lose the series, and then Simmons requested a trade.
A blockbuster trade ended up sending Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets. Since then he has been dealing with injuries, and has yet to come close to the level of play he was putting on display at the beginning of his career.
Redemption Arc
Going into the 2024-25 NBA season, the Brooklyn Nets seem to be a bottom-of-the-barrel team, going into full rebuild mode. This is a perfect low-pressure opportunity for Simmons to get his confidence back.
There are a few things that Simmons needs to make happen to fulfill this redemption arc. Of course, injuries are out of his control, so he should just focus on taking good care of his body. However, on the court, there are some areas of his game that need work, especially with his time as a Net.
Simmons has never been a shooter, but as of late Simmons’ shooting has been inexcusable. He has shot under 50% on free throws in his two seasons with the Nets. With all of this time during the offseason, Simmons needs to work on his shooting. At the least, he needs to make free throws at a high rate. A team can’t keep someone on the floor if they shoot under 50% on free throws, especially come late game. Free throws are also a great way for a player to get into rhythm, which is something that Simmons needs.
When Simmons is on the floor, he does a great job controlling the tempo of the game and facilitates the fast break really well. However, it is easy for teams to pick up on because he isn’t viewed as the scoring threat that he once was. In Simmons’ 15 games with Brooklyn last season, he averaged just 4.9 shot attempts a game. If Simmons can keep the defense guessing by attacking the rim, it will open up his passing game.
Optimism in Brooklyn
Simmons has shown signs of promise with the Nets, recording a game with 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists in a 2022 outing against the Memphis Grizzlies. He has also posted multiple game-scoring double-digits on 100% shooting! The beauty in Simmons’ game is his selfless attitude on the court. He always looks to find his shooters and loves to pass up a good shot for a better shot.
It’s safe to say that the Nets are not a contending team this upcoming season, so this is Simmons’ chance to put his name back on the map. The Nets are in need of a leader, and with Simmons finally being cleared to play, hopes are high that Simmons will take on that role. With Brooklyn’s young core, he is looked upon as a veteran and leader of the team, and this is his chance to show that.
