Re: Ben Simmons Preferring To Work With NBPA On Mental Health Instead Of 76ers

[RealGM Wiretap]

Ben Simmons has refused assistance from the Philadelphia 76ers to address his mental readiness to play, sources tell ESPN.

Simmons has been working with team doctors to treat a back ailment, but he's so far been unwilling to meet with team doctors to discuss his mental readiness. 

Simmons has instead worked with mental health professionals via the National Basketball Players Association since the summer.

Simmons hasn't rejoined full team activities to this point and it's unclear when or if he will. 

The 76ers stopped fining Simmons since he reported on Oct. 22 and expressed that he wasn't mentally ready to play. 

Via Ramona Shelburne, Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN

[Lockdown504090]

this is worth a report? Ramona need to go find somehting to do.

[Twinkie defense]

Sixers don't have Ben Simmons' best interest at heart. Ben Simmons needs to look out for himself, and leverage the CBA to protect himself.

[TheAlanParsons]

This dude is a complete fraud. A disgrace to people with real mental heath issues.

[TimeisIllmatic]

He's just making things worse and worse for himself.

[TimeisIllmatic]

Sixers don't have Ben Simmons' best interest at heart. Ben Simmons needs to look out for himself, and leverage the CBA to protect himself.

This wouldn't be an issue if Ben didn't just attempt to make an effort in trying to shoot. At least if he misses a lot, you can't say Ben didn't try. Hell if you don't want to shoot, at least try to develop a post game or something.

[phillynative]

Sixers don't have Ben Simmons' best interest at heart. Ben Simmons needs to look out for himself, and leverage the CBA to protect himself.

He's getting paid for doing nothing. I think he has the "look out for himself" down pack.

[Hans1984]

lol

[Ballerhogger]

Ridiculous should be kicked out the league .. I think he’s done as player

[Heat3]

Trust the process

[dougthonus]

This dude is a complete fraud. A disgrace to people with real mental heath issues.

It's not my business to comment on Simmons health.

If he has legitimate mental health issues then he deserves support. It's not hard to envision that being the case with Simmons for me. He exhibits lots of signs of a guy with legitimate mental health issues.

If he's faking it to just find an excuse to get paid while not paying, then he deserves plenty of ridicule, but if I had to guess, I'd lean against this being true only because there are ways he could probably accomplish the same thing without using mental health and would guess most people have such a negative view of it that he'd prefer not to have that label.

[CobraCommander]

This dude is a complete fraud. A disgrace to people with real mental heath issues.

It's not my business to comment on Simmons health.

If he has legitimate mental health issues then he deserves support. It's not hard to envision that being the case with Simmons for me. He exhibits lots of signs of a guy with legitimate mental health issues.

If he's faking it to just find an excuse to get paid while not paying, then he deserves plenty of ridicule, but if I had to guess, I'd lean against this being true only because there are ways he could probably accomplish the same thing without using mental health and would guess most people have such a negative view of it that he'd prefer not to have that label.

Two things can be true. Ben could have a mental health issue and he can be using it to avoid working for sixers so that he gets paid and moved to another team.

Work is difficult for most people and ridicule can make someone with fragile mental health implode. So if Ben has issues playing in the nba is going to be tough on his mental health and even worse in Philly if he plays bad. But unfortunately that’s what he signed up for and the reason those checks so damn large....

Two things can be true but you can’t decide to have opposing views and that are both anti-sixers

So sixers Should pay him not to work because he has mental issues and then the sixers should release him at a loss because he has mental issues.

No I don’t want Ben to hurt himself or someone else because of mental issues but you can’t punish the sixers org because he has mental issues.

Pay to play...no play no pay...same with all of the people reading this tread

[dougthonus]

Pay to play...no play no pay...same with all of the people reading this tread

Would you say the same if someone had an ACL injury? They shouldn't be paid? That just isn't how NBA contracts are presently structured or bargained for. It could be, but in the bargaining process that isn't what has taken place.

Maybe the NBA will pursue allowing to withhold salary over mental health issues or other injuries, but that isn't the case right now, and just because fans think it is BS doesn't change the legality over it.

[TheBoi10]

Should've just kept it at using the back stuff as an excuse to hold out, the mental health aspect opens up a whole other can of worms.

[CIN-C-STAR]

Sixers don't have Ben Simmons' best interest at heart. Ben Simmons needs to look out for himself, and leverage the CBA to protect himself.

What is he protecting himself from?
Having to play basketball?

[CobraCommander]

Pay to play...no play no pay...same with all of the people reading this tread

Would you say the same if someone had an ACL injury? They shouldn't be paid? That just isn't how NBA contracts are presently structured or bargained for. It could be, but in the bargaining process that isn't what has taken place.

Maybe the NBA will pursue allowing to withhold salary over mental health issues or other injuries, but that isn't the case right now, and just because fans think it is BS doesn't change the legality over it.

I agree with you on all points. So don’t take my points as disagreement.

I’m saying that if you have a mental issue that’s NOT caused by the team (head injury from falling excluded) should he treated like braking your leg skiing in the off season. The sixers wouldn’t pay him for that unless they wanted to...right?

[dougthonus]

I agree with you on all points. So don’t take my points as disagreement.

I’m saying that if you have a mental issue that’s NOT caused by the team (head injury from falling excluded) should he treated like braking your leg skiing in the off season. The sixers wouldn’t pay him for that unless they wanted to...right?

Off-season injuries are still guaranteed unless the player is doing something explicitly forbidden in the contract. Ie, if Simmons fell down the stairs, he'd still be protected for injury regardless of the 76ers thoughts on it. If he hurt himself skiing, skiing might be excluded from his contract and they might have a choice.

Any mental health issue would still be covered by this criteria unless there were explicit causes that were removed, but with mental health I don't know how you would identify specific causes you would not cover. Beyond that, you could easily make the case that a good chunk of his mental health issue (assuming he is being honest and has one) is explicitly caused by the team and his role on it.

[nedleeds]

[nedleeds]

I agree with you on all points. So don’t take my points as disagreement.

I’m saying that if you have a mental issue that’s NOT caused by the team (head injury from falling excluded) should he treated like braking your leg skiing in the off season. The sixers wouldn’t pay him for that unless they wanted to...right?

Off-season injuries are still guaranteed unless the player is doing something explicitly forbidden in the contract. Ie, if Simmons fell down the stairs, he'd still be protected for injury regardless of the 76ers thoughts on it. If he hurt himself skiing, skiing might be excluded from his contract and they might have a choice.

Any mental health issue would still be covered by this criteria unless there were explicit causes that were removed, but with mental health I don't know how you would identify specific causes you would not cover. Beyond that, you could easily make the case that a good chunk of his mental health issue (assuming he is being honest and has one) is explicitly caused by the team and his role on it.

His mental health issues are caused by playing Xbox instead of practicing the craft he gets paid $40 million to perform.

[CobraCommander]

I agree with you on all points. So don’t take my points as disagreement.

I’m saying that if you have a mental issue that’s NOT caused by the team (head injury from falling excluded) should he treated like braking your leg skiing in the off season. The sixers wouldn’t pay him for that unless they wanted to...right?

Off-season injuries are still guaranteed unless the player is doing something explicitly forbidden in the contract. Ie, if Simmons fell down the stairs, he'd still be protected for injury regardless of the 76ers thoughts on it. If he hurt himself skiing, skiing might be excluded from his contract and they might have a choice.

Any mental health issue would still be covered by this criteria unless there were explicit causes that were removed, but with mental health I don't know how you would identify specific causes you would not cover. Beyond that, you could easily make the case that a good chunk of his mental health issue (assuming he is being honest and has one) is explicitly caused by the team and his role on it.

Problem is Ben was saying he wanted out of Philly - thus implying his mental issue is associated to the sixers. Which is why we all feel like his issue is disingenuous.

Compromise
If ben can’t play for the sixers, after signing the contract but can for other teams, his contract has to be voided and money paid back for this year and signing bonus....and sixers get draft compensation and money from who he signs with.

Because I doubt he would get a max deal right now from most teams.

Ben’s playing with fire that’s going to hurt the rest of the union.

All owners are business people first team owners second. They, rightfully in my opinion, can’t have a player have a unsubstantiatable condition determine the outcome of 200 million contracts