The Philadelphia 76ers is undeniably the focal point of conversations in this offseason, headlined by the disgruntled Ben Simmons who drew a huge amount of mixed reactions in the NBA landscape. For the past several weeks, the former number one overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft notoriously forced his way out of the City of Brotherly Love — cutting connections with every single personnel in the whole organization while expressing sheer unwillingness to suit up as a Sixer for his 5th season as a pro.
Yet Simmons, who didn’t participate in his team’s training camp and three preseason games so far, shocked the basketball world by finally returning on Monday without notifying someone in the franchise that he’ll come back. As per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the 25-year-old notified GM Elton Brand that he showed up at the Wells Fargo Center just to fulfill the COVID-19 mandates.
As it is, things around Philly may seem to recover. Simmons will always be a vital cog that runs this squad — a formidable second star alongside franchise player Joel Embiid. For now, convincing the two-time All-star to stick around and continue to compete with this well-rounded 76ers squad is a vital plan. Erasing the drama and continuing to build a winning culture will always be top priorities, especially for a ball club that is considered as a strong contender right now for an NBA crown.
According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, Sixers are taking extra steps to mend what’s broken with Simmons:
Honing Simmons and addressing his issues in a peaceful manner reflects a vision for Philadelphia — a humbling experience for them moving ahead.
The time on the countdown for the opening of a new season is slowly dropping to zero, and seeing the Sixers finally solving the most stressful saga of their own gives a huge relief for their believers who have been longing for basketball immortality since 1983.