It feels like Ben Simmons hasn’t stepped foot on a basketball court and bounced a ball for what seems like an eternity. The #1 pick in 2016 was traded to the Nets this season in a blockbuster trade which saw former MVP James Harden being transferred over to the 76ers in return for Simmons and a few other solid players.
Nets fans were hopeful that whatever “injury” Simmons has would clear this season and he would be able to play in the Playoffs. Obviously this did not happen and the Nets could have definitely used Simmons proven skills on defence against the Celtics as they were swept by the Boston team in the first round. Simmons took his usual spot, a seat in the crowd for the entirety of the series.
When Simmons was first drafted many drew comparisons between him and LeBron James, these comparisons swiftly stopped as we learnt that Simmons was unable to hit a jump shot. Depsite this Simmons was a solid player but this all came to a halt when suddenly one day he got injured and simply stopped playing basketball.
No one knows what is happening with Simmons and even if he wants to continue to play basketball, he’s locked in for another three years on his contract so it is possible we see a return to the court from the Australian native. He will have to work hard building relationships with NBA teams as currently, he is the most fined player in NBA history and when you had the likes of Ron Artest playing in the league, that is one “monumental” accomplishment.
Simmons seems to be going on a run of dating celebrities as recently he announced his engagement to British radio DJ Maya Jama after a stint of dating Kendall Jenner who is renowned for dating NBA stars. Hopefully Simmons can return to the court and prove his worth, but as of right now people are chucking in his name with Kwame Brown as one of the worst 1st overall picks of all time.
