What Does The Surprising Exit Mean For The Sixers And Ben Simmons?

The Philadelphia 76ers faced a harsh reality Sunday night (June 20th) when they lost Game 7 to the 5th-seeded Atlanta Hawks. The number one seed was destined for a conference finals appearance at the least, but couldn't even make it past the semifinals. The big talk being about how disappointing the team looked, and especially from their star guard, Ben Simmons. So now we have to look at what the future holds for Simmons with the team.

Simmons has now faced the most backlash he has ever received following this playoff series. In the past he has been criticized constantly for his lack of shooting, but now it has completely leveled his confidence. Game after game in this series he continued to not only shoot poorly, but not even take shots. In the final three games of the seven game series, he attempted only 14 field goals, with none of them being in the fourth quarter. He even turned down an open layup at the end of Game 7, which could have been a pivotal play. He did shoot 60% from the field, however he only attempted 45 field goals total in the series.

Along with his poor shooting from the field, he struggles more from the free throw line. Teams have shown to take the 'Hack-A-Shaq' approach with Simmons because of his struggles. His free throw percentage continues to be horrendous as he set a playoff record of 34.2% from the line. It was also down 27% just from the regular season, which was still poor at 61.3%.

If there is anything that Ben Simmons needs to do right now, it's to be in the gym everyday. He has to expand his skillset, because at this point in his career he has already played 4 whole years in the league. As a guard, you want to be able to have a sustainable jump shot, and be able to consistently attempt shots. Even with his size, he is still technically a point guard and must expand his game to fit that mold. He has already proven his playmaking ability, and clearly is an elite defender. All Simmons needs to do is work on his jump shot and shot creating so that he can help himself, and the people he plays around. His perimeter game on offense is nonexistent, he attempted only 11 three pointers throughout the season, making only three of them. He must find a way to begin to knock down perimeter shots, and especially mid range. Currently, he is an offensive liability and it conflicts with the flow of the Sixers offense. Simmons can easily be an elite scorer in the game if he focuses on building his offensive ability.

As for his future with the Sixers, and what the team decides to do, it is unclear now. His stock after the playoffs took a drastic turn because of his performance, and many people are starting to strongly take this into consideration. Even Head Coach Doc Rivers was unsure about the future of Ben Simmons and the ability to go to a championship. With this being said, a possible trade could be seen in the offseason dealing with the guard. A big trade talk that could ensue could be with the Portland Trail Blazers and CJ McCollum. Some form of trade that would swap these guards would make the most sense for the Sixers. They are in need of a scorer at the guard position that can create their own shot and maintain reliability. As for the Blazers in the situation, they can try something new to pair with Dame, and take a chance on Simmons. This would also help them defensively, which has been an issue for them recently. Other than this trade, there are some other players that could be traded, but at a much lower chance. These players would include someone like Bradley Beal who has proven his scoring ability at the guard position, or Kyle Lowry in some sort of sign-and-trade. Trading will be a big possibility this offseason for the Sixers and Ben Simmons.

Philly has big decisions to make as they look to get over the hump in the Eastern Conference. Whether they keep going with Ben Simmons and hope he makes the necessary adjustments, or they look to make roster changes via trade. Something has to change for the team, and it needs to come quick.