In the last few years, Ben Simmons has gone from someone who had superstar potential to the NBA’s biggest enigma.
He demanded the Philadelphia 76ers trade him in 2021 after then-head coach Doc Rivers wasn’t sure if he could be the point guard on a championship team, but he has barely played since joining the Brooklyn Nets due to injury.
Lately, there has been some chatter that he will be ready for the start of the upcoming season, and Simmons’ agent basically confirmed that he should be able to do so, via SiriusXM NBA Radio.
"The expectation is that, you know, he'll be able to start the season".
Ben Simmons' agent, Bernie Lee, joined @TermineRadio & @JumpShot8 and gave an update on his client. pic.twitter.com/8TISFhQs9C
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 27, 2023
Simmons landed in Brooklyn midway through the 2021-22 season, but he didn’t play at all that year after being traded, as a back issue popped up weeks after the trade.
This past season, he appeared in just 42 games, and his scoring average plummeted to 6.9 points a game, compared to the 14.3 points a contest he put up during his last full season.
Simmons was compared to Magic Johnson and LeBron James when he was the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft due to his open-court talents, passing skills, and court vision at 6-foot-10.
But he has failed to realize a good deal of his potential.
He recently turned 27 years of age, so he may still have just a bit of time to turn things around, even if he never quite becomes an elite player.
The one thing he has going for him is that, with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving gone, he’s playing on a team that has no real expectations, which means there won’t be a lot of pressure on him.
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