Sixers Suspend Ben Simmons For One Game

[F N 11]

I'm not putting this all on Simmons. Me and my girl jaws dropped when Embiid and Doc was talking post game. You don't throw a teammate under the bus and expect him to come to war for you. I'm sure Doc was probably like "Ben get your a$$ in the drill" lmaoo i'm sure Doc didn't say it nicely.

[Bornstellar]

Can someone explain to me how Simmons value will go anywhere but down from here? Like I get what Philly wants, but it's clearly not going to happen. And when he starts just playing lazily in games how are you going to fine him then, because it's going to get real hard to define him being detrimental to the team at that point if he's showing up for work. I just can't understand what Philly is thinking. I can't imagine how worse of a deal we'd have taken for Leonard if SA just refused to trade him and he did this ish and made the situation even worse.

[DusterBuster]

from shams

The 76ers are not trying to move Simmons and have made clear that they will not deal him at this time, according to sources. The franchise wants Simmons to show up to practices and games, to be engaged and to perform to his capabilities. Simmons is not against playing, but he is not mentally ready yet, sources insist.

This is just the weirdest thing to me. It's like the entire franchise has forgotten their job is to win basketball games, not petty arguments with childish disgruntled players.

It's just Morey and Klutch getting into more pissing matches and upping the stakes.

Ben: "I want a trade and I'm not showing up until I get that."
Morey: "We tried but didn't get what we want, now we will fine you if you don't show."
Ben: "I'll show, but I'll be an absolutely pain."
Morey: "Fine, now we're not even going to attempt to trade you."

So they hoped the fines would get him to at least come in and play some while they shop him, so now they're taking away the potential for a trade until he gets his head out of his arse. If he keeps acting like a child, then they aren't even going to entertain his trade request, therefore throwing the proverbial ball back in his court.

[AlexanderRight]

Lavert and Brogdon are two 20PPG scorers that can create offense on their own. You got two legitimate scoring threats on the perimeter next to Embiid for the playoffs. What else is Morey expecting? You’re not swapping a top five scorer in the league (Lillard/Beal) for a player that refuses to shoot. Get your head out your ass Morey, make the deal, and move tf on.

[ReddoverKobe]

Lavert and Brogdon are two 20PPG scorers that can create offense on their own. You got two legitimate scoring threats on the perimeter next to Embiid for the playoffs. What else is Morey expecting? You’re not swapping a top five scorer in the league (Lillard/Beal) for a player that refuses to shoot. Get your head out your ass Morey, make the deal, and move tf on.

Except that deal cant be made now because Brogden signed an extension

[Inspektor1312]

I don't know why anyone would want this guy on their team after all of this.
He probably thinks he's this big shot that teams would be lining up and giving away their most valuable assets to get him. Reality must be hitting hard.

[PlatinumState]

31 pages in 5 hours. Is this a record?

[AlexanderRight]

Lavert and Brogdon are two 20PPG scorers that can create offense on their own. You got two legitimate scoring threats on the perimeter next to Embiid for the playoffs. What else is Morey expecting? You’re not swapping a top five scorer in the league (Lillard/Beal) for a player that refuses to shoot. Get your head out your ass Morey, make the deal, and move tf on.

Except that deal cant be made now because Brogden signed an extension

Congratulations Morey. You just played yourself.

[GettinitDone]

An underrated factor that plays prominently in this whole thing is cultures and how our psychology makeup is shaped predominantly by cultures.

You have to factor in the differences in cultures, Ben is Aussie. Aussies seem to take pride in how "laid back" they are, which could be taken as a weakness and aloofness/ lack of engagement/ honesty in American culture. Americans on other hand value high/ honest engagement, which can easily be perceived as aggressiveness that's direct opposite of laid back in Aussie culture.

What Aussies value ("laid back"ness) is what Americans don't, and what Americans value (honest engagement) is what Aussies don't. What's valued in one culture, can easily be perceived as arrogance, ignorance, or even disrespect in another.

Ben has been in US for years so he should have acclimated to American culture. But no few years of something can replace what's hard ingrained in childhood (humans' core behavior, psychology, mindset are shaped in our first 7 years of life when our brains are still largely on dreamy theta state). Whatever's learned after the first 7 years are just layers on top/ outside of the core... but our behaviors, psychology and mindset are still largely governed by what we learned in first 7 years of our lives, what's soaked/ recorded in the core.

Ben may have learned US culture but it's just a layer outside his Aussie culture core, or people often refer to it as "social mask". During highest pressure, like when he's not producing all series, culminated by Game 7's passed up dunk, and when he felt he's attacked/ vulnerable most while wearing the mask, he had to abandon the mask and seek refuge/ safety back in his core. In other words, he's back in his Aussie culture core perceiving and processing the world and everything with it.

When you have two parties thinking of each other as arrogant, ignorant or disrespectful you have a perfect mix of toxic cocktail brewing. 

The only way for this to resolve is if Sixers organization's members, especially the ones of authority like Elton, Doc, team president, Embiid, can learn this Aussie culture, become it, and "reach out" to Ben, and only then there's a chance for Ben to trust again. 

It's a long play because obviously it's not the Sixers' fault, and their focus is elsewhere on the season. But imo this is the main psychology underlying the whole thing.

[SunsLyf3]

#Klutch

[art_tatum]

Biggest fail if Simmons can't be traded for the rumoured LeVert and brogdan.

Never was a fan of Morey and how he built the rockets.

[Jabroni Lames]

Daryl Morey effed this up so bad. First mistake was not coming out with a strong pro-Simmons statement right after Game 7 to counter-act anything that negative that was said by Embiid and Rivers.

In fact, he's been almost invisible throughout this whole debacle. Where is the leadership from RealGM's favorite genius GM?

The Sixers were in first place all season, brotato chip. Genius Morey is working the phones and trying to get Bendover traded. No reason to think they won't be on top this year, too

What organization would trade for Simmons now, other than for pennies on the dollar? I fully agree that Simmons has removed all doubts that he's an un-coachable, me-first jerk. But with a little more leadership early on into this debacle, Morey could have been fielding offers for all-stars & valuable draft picks instead of the low-ball deals he's been getting. Or, he could have diffused the whole thing altogether by convincing Embiid and Rivers to mea culpa & retract their statements the morning after Game 7. There's a human element to sports that Morey just doesn't seem to get.

[Slava]

It’s stuff like this that makes you question how some nba players would fare in the real world if they weren’t playing a kids game for millions

In the real world, Ben Simmons would quit his job and find a new one. This is a professional sports problem.

Ben is free to quit his job here too and find a new one. He could, say, retire from the NBA, or he could just say to the 76ers, "I waive my remaining salary--void my contract"...and assuming they agree, he'd be a free man.

Of course, he'd then lose all that money...but that's what usually happens when you break contracts "in the real world."

If the Sixers were prepared to release him from his contract without compensation, what’s this while charade been for?

[Public_Enemy101]

Not sure why Morey would want to trade Simmons to a decent team like Portland. That’s giving in to what he wants. He should instead send him to a graveyard team for lower picks or a couple rotation guys. The opportunity to sell for fair value is impossible now.

Morey needs to cut his losses but also grow some balls. Send a message that no player can hold a team hostage, except for Lebron, KD or Steph.

[CptCrunch]

Simmons' trade value might hit negative at this rate.

Flawed supermax contract player with immaturity issues, difficulty to work with, and has a camp of nasty people behind the scenes. Sixers and Simmons' camp has created a ultimate ****.

NBAPA doesn't want to defend a player not showing up to work. The league office wants to ensure that signed contracts are fully honored by the players, and not encouraging trade requests from young players without history with a franchise*

*Like Harden poured his heart out for Houston, no problems asking for a trade during the offseason. If Dame asked for a trade, I would say the Blazers owe him one.

[BostonCouchGM]

the real issue is that players can't turn down these huge extensions even if they don't want to stay and once they do, the team has them by the short and curlies. There are no "good guys" in this situation so I'm not sure why Ben gets so much more hate than the Sixers.

[Texas Chuck]

Can someone explain to me how Simmons value will go anywhere but down from here? Like I get what Philly wants, but it's clearly not going to happen. And when he starts just playing lazily in games how are you going to fine him then, because it's going to get real hard to define him being detrimental to the team at that point if he's showing up for work. I just can't understand what Philly is thinking. I can't imagine how worse of a deal we'd have taken for Leonard if SA just refused to trade him and he did this ish and made the situation even worse.

I don't think anyone is saying it will do anything else?

But I still think some smart GM is looking at this situation and saying I'm going to go make one really serious offer that isn't exactly what Philly wants, but is something they could probably live with and get this really talented guy for like 50 cents on the dollar.

Because lost in all of this is how you simply can't trade for guys like this normally. So man I'd sure love to be the team that doesn't just put some **** offer in front of Philly but tries to be the one team that makes a serious one.

[F N 11]

Doc probably had him with 3rd stringers. Thats honestly what it looked like...

[taikibansei]

In the real world, Ben Simmons would quit his job and find a new one. This is a professional sports problem.

Ben is free to quit his job here too and find a new one. He could, say, retire from the NBA, or he could just say to the 76ers, "I waive my remaining salary--void my contract"...and assuming they agree, he'd be a free man.

Of course, he'd then lose all that money...but that's what usually happens when you break contracts "in the real world."

If the Sixers were prepared to release him from his contract without compensation, what’s this while charade been for?

From where I sit, it's because Ben wants to be released from his contract--or traded--but wants all his money also. Otherwise, why'd the dude come back to "play"? He could have just stayed at home, albeit unpaid, right?

It's a modern version of the old saying "wanting to have one's cake and eat it too"...updated for today's NBA.

[Sakkreth]

Biggest fail if Simmons can't be traded for the rumoured LeVert and brogdan.

Never was a fan of Morey and how he built the rockets.

Brogdan can't be traded this season due to his contract extension few days ago.