What is Ben Simmons Thinking???

(The first 4 paragraphs are just a recap of the situation so feel free to skip over them if you already know what is happening)

Recap

34 minutes per game, 9 points per game, 6 rebounds per game, 8 assists per game, 33.3% FT FG%. These are Ben Simmons stats from the Hawks vs Sixers series. This series marked the beginning of the end of a healthy relationship between Ben Simmons and the Sixers.

After the game, interviews from Doc Rivers and Joel Embiid went viral. "Doc, do you still think that Ben Simmons can be the point guard for a championship team?" "I don't know the answer to that right now." was just one of these viral moments.

It didn't take long for trade rumors to start. Many had hopes that the Sixers would be able to trade Ben Simmons for Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal, but with Ben's trade value being lower than ever, it was very unlikely that one of these trades would happen. During all of this Ben Simmons had no contact with the Sixers and just waited to be traded, but once it became clear that he wasn't being traded things started to change.

Ben Simmons had no choice but to come in contact with the Sixers otherwise he would have lost almost 230,000 dollars per game he missed. Now he is claiming that he is "not mentally ready" (so he is not losing any money because he is considered to be injured) to return but is refusing to take help from the professionals that the Sixers have hired to help him. At this point, many people including myself are wondering what he is trying to do. If he wants to be traded he could easily play a month of basketball for the Sixers to establish his trade value and then he will be gone, but he seems to want to prolong this situation with all of the issues he's causing.

Ben Simmons Journal

It' hard to understand what Ben is thinking because a lot of what he is doing makes absolutely no sense, but I'm going to do my best attempt to mimic what an entry in Ben Simmons journal/diary would be like. (So everything you see in the paragraph below is me writing as if I am Ben Simmons.)

I can't wait much longer to be traded. I can't stand Doc and I've had enough of my teammates trying to convince me to play. I don't feel like playing for an organization that doesn't want me and hasn't supported me. I've gotten kicked out of practice and have been heavily criticized by people all throughout the Sixers organization and the fans too. I've been having problems in Philly even way back when Jimmy Butler and Brett Brown were here. Philadelphia is not where I want to be, I want to be in California with the Lakers, Clippers, or the Kings. I was supposed to be the next LeBron James but I can't make that happen with a coach that doesn't believe in me, fans that don't believe in me, and teammates that I simply cannot play with. Besides, there is absolutely no way that I can return to the Wells Fargo Center and play in front of thousands of fans that hate me, I can't play in that type of environment.

Let me know how I did and what you would change!!

Image via Clutch Points

My Opinion

If I were Ben Simmons I would just go out and play. He really needs to handle this situation professionally because this has become an embarrassment to him that will live on through his entire career. He's going to have to toughen up and play in front of angry fans to show what he can do. If he doesn't do that, him and the Sixers will remain in this standoffish state. The Sixers are offering him help and are trying to work with him because quite honestly, they don't want him on the team either, but they can't trade him for nothing because what message does that send to Joel after his hard work to turn this team into what it is today. They can't take a step back right now, this is their chance to win and Ben Simmons is standing in the way of that right now.