Ben Simmons‘ career has not gone as originally planned. Poised to be one of the faces of the NBA, he has now wandered through teams and is entering free agency once again. He played for the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers last season but failed to earn a spot on either roster for next season.
Last year, he played 33 games for Brooklyn, and started 24 playing 25 minutes a night. It all seemed great and he then went to the Clippers. The Australian played 18 games for the Clippers but his numbers didn’t wow. His full season stats were 5 points a night, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds. Now, a recent Instagram story of his showed he is spending time in Miami. The timing is suspicious to say the least, as the Heat would welcome a player like Simmons given the team’s state.
Simmons was never the most prolific scorer but his ability to average 15-8-8 made him an all-around menace. However, between injuries and off-field shenanigans, including a 2021-22 holdout and back injury, his career started to fall off. He hasn’t been an All-Star since 2020-21. The decline has been steep, as all his averages have gone down bad.
Simmons flaws are too well-known
Simmons always had a complete-yet-incomplete game. That sounds contradictory, but it is true. While early Simmons could score in the paint, assist, rebound and defend at a very high level, his shooting, free throws, and decision-making were not as polished.
Ben Simmons was a prodigy when playing for the 76ers
The thing is Simmons never really improved those weaknesses. It was so obvious, that the teams stopped marking him on the 3-pt line, they’d rather mark everyone else. Teams would make him hesitate and he would even miss wide open shots or pass on easy layups to try to avoid missing. This started to take a toll and then injuries happened. His career was certainly derailed.
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Simmons can still add value even if not a star
If last season is what you’re going to get from him, there is something to value. Especially when looking at what he did for the Nets, he still could distribute the ball correctly. On the Nets alone, he averaged 6.9 assists per night. His court vision and ability to pass the ball is still there.
Even if it’s not Miami, any team would have a good rotational player that can defend multiple positions. Simmons won’t be that All-Star player he once was, but he can still be a good player for 10-15 minutes a night.
