76ers back to fining Ben Simmons

[zimpy27]

Morey just needs to call the Pels and say, Simmons and a 1st for Ingram. Ingram the last 3 weeks after his hip injury

27/6/6 on 50% shooting (59 TS%)

Throw in a pick swap if you have to. Ingram fits great with Embiid as well because he isnt a ball dominant player. He can play off of Embiid and he can create his own shot with the ball as well. He would be the ideal #2 option to pair with Embiid. Just get the deal done.

Why do the Pelicans trade Ingram ?.

People have questioned the Ingram/Zion fit from day 1. Ben is the better floor raiser. Having a better floor raiser could be a great thing for them with the question marks and Zion. Plus you could have 2/3 of the season for Simmons to build back up his trade value. Then next year they can try the Zion/Simmons fit and if it doesn’t work out they can just flip Simmons.

Plus ya, I’m tired of seeing Ingram being stuck on this team with no signs of it getting better. Zion can’t stay healthy and they still have Griffin as the GM.

I do like the Simmons/Zion fit. I think people need to recognize that Zions main flaw is defense which Simmons can cover in ways that are tiers better than Ingram. Offensively Simmons is timid and Zion is aggressive. I don't see them getting in the way of each other too often. They can also play each others position when they other sits on the bench or is injured. And finally, their transition game would be great. The mismatches and passing from Simmons to Zion could also be very valuable.

[CIN-C-STAR]

I wont blame Klutch or Simmons, sorry. I blame Morey and the Sixers ownership. They mismanaged a key asset, that's on them.

This has nothing to do with Simmons age or the length of his contract.

Simmons was in trade rumors all last year despite playing well the last two regular seasons.

Morey attempted to trade him mid-season and for all intents and purposes the deal was basically done: it was a two horse race between Brooklyn and Philly for Harden.

Then after averaging near a triple double while guarding the opposing team's best player in the playoffs, Simmons was thrown under the bus by his head coach and his co-star in the worst and most public way.

Embiid blamed the game 7 loss on Simmons not taking the dunk and when the Sixers wouldnt have even gotten to the 2nd round let alone a game 7 without Simmons and his defense. Not to mention he shot 60%+ in the playoffs.

Doc Rivers was asked point blank if he could trust Simmons to be the PG for future title runs and his response was "I dont know"

Multiple former and current athletes (in the NBA and NFL) said that if their coach or fellow star made those types of comments then the bridge is burned, the relationship is over. Neither came out and defended him until training camp was over and they were trying to save face. Neither Doc or Embiid attempted to repair the relationship. Again that's on them to do not Ben.

It would be one thing if Simmons played zero defense and shot 30% in the playoffs but that wasnt the case. He was the scapegoat for another epic playoff collapse by Doc Rivers, simple as that.

Couple that with the hostile fanbase in Philly, why would anyone want to continue to play in a city where the fans, the coach, and your fellow co-star does not want anything to do with you. Add in the attempted trade last season by Morey, what's left?

Simmons clearly feels that his contribution to the team both regular season and playoffs is unappreciated and deservedly so. He wants out and privately asked for a trade before the Bucks even won the championship.

Meanwhile an owner can just ship a player out without his input, many times to a terrible team, for no reason other than to clear cap space.

The Clippers, the team Blake Griffin was drafted by, put on a show, raised a banner with his name, and compared him to Martin Luther King Jr all in an attempt to sign him. He had other options and chose to stay loyal and stay home in LA.

How did the Clippers reward him? By trading him to ice cold Detroit and the league worst Pistons. No one says anything about that. They did him dirty and guess what he couldnt do anything about it because he signed a contract.

So if the owners can on a whim trade a player who they just signed and promised the world to without any consequences why would the CBA change if all of a sudden Ben Simmons wanted a trade?

No one slammed Kyrie Irving for asking out after LeBron carried him to a championship and three straight Finals. He didnt even speak to his teammates during their last run to the Finals and then asked out. All because he felt he was in LeBron's shadow. The coaches, the players, the ownership, and most importantly LeBron were all heaping praise on him the entire time. Yet he wanted out. Sucks but that's his right as a player. The Cavs got the best they could for him while shipping him to a team he wanted to play for. That's a classy organization (shocking that the POS Dan Gilbert looks like a saint in comparison to Morey/Sixers ownership in this situation)

Kyrie is being paid 17M to sit at home because he is the only player in the entire NBA who doesnt want to get vaccinated.

Ben Simmons was nearly traded, shet on by Doc and Embiid, and is hated by the fans in Philly. Why is he obligated to come back and play in that kind of environment? I dont know many other players who would, especially not a young guy in his prime.

You might not like Klutch or Ben Simmons as a person, but he has a right to ask for a trade, as many other players have done so in the past.

The Sixers ownership and hard headed Morey bungled this in the worst way possible. They could have attempted to trade him in the offseason but instead chose to hold out in hopes he would come back when he left the city and told the team he would never return. The only reason he even came back and showed up was to collect a few million dollars, that's it.

When he refused to show up, Morey incorrectly assumed that the Sixers would be ok without Simmons (not the case as shown by their record and by Embiid playing tons of minutes) and incorrectly assumed that other teams would get desperate and up their trade offers.

Now all that has happened is that the Sixers' reputation and Simmons trade value have gone straight down the toilet.

As constructed the Sixers wont make it out of the 2nd round, Klutch sports has nothing to do with that, Morey does.

If the CBA changes it will be in the players' favor, every player is watching closely, no one wants to be held hostage by a team they dont want to play for.

1) I think you are delusional to think that this holdout will lead to changes in the CBA that will benefit the players. DELUSIONAL..

2) The problem here is simple - BEN SIMMONS IS REFUSING TO HONOR A CONTRACT THAT HE VOLUNTARILY SIGNED. FULL STOP.

The NBA Players Association has said JACK SHART. Adam Silver said, “That’s why we have CONTRACTS.”

Simmons and Klutch are on an island. Ben is not getting paid. He is getting ZERO support from the union, and when is the last time that you have heard of a player - current or former - who has supported Simmons’ UTTER REFUSAL to HONOR HIS CONTRACT? Huh?

Please post a link if you have one. Thanks.

Zero support from the union, how about the executive director of the NBPA? Is that good enough for you?

National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts issued a statement Saturday after comments by Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey about his willingness to continue the team's standoff with Ben Simmons for the duration of his contract."Really? Is it so hard to believe that Ben's not mentally at a place to compete? Professional athletes—like the rest of us—have difficult periods in our lives that require time and energy to heal. We have and will continue to provide Ben with the support and resources he needs to work through this. Threatening the prospect of 'another four years' serves no one's interests. Like Tobias [Harris], I say let's respect Ben's space and embrace him while allowing him the time to move forward.
"So, take a breath and count to 10: We are all too good to continue to play this perpetual game of chicken."

Everyone supports his right to get treatment for his mental health problems that are preventing him from playing basketball.
When he gets that figured out and is ready to play basketball again, let's see if the player's union helps him in his quest to get paid while refusing to honor his contract.
Gonna take a wild guess and say no way in hell is the player's union gonna put their name on that.

[MVP1992]

Zero support from the union, how about the executive director of the NBPA? Is that good enough for you?

National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts issued a statement Saturday after comments by Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey about his willingness to continue the team's standoff with Ben Simmons for the duration of his contract."Really? Is it so hard to believe that Ben's not mentally at a place to compete? Professional athletes—like the rest of us—have difficult periods in our lives that require time and energy to heal. We have and will continue to provide Ben with the support and resources he needs to work through this. Threatening the prospect of 'another four years' serves no one's interests. Like Tobias [Harris], I say let's respect Ben's space and embrace him while allowing him the time to move forward.
"So, take a breath and count to 10: We are all too good to continue to play this perpetual game of chicken."

Looks like a pretty sweet deal if Ben just swallows his pride and gets on the disability pension. He can cope like millions of Americans do already


"If you are disabled, you may be eligible for monthly Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments. To qualify for SSDI, your condition must be serious enough to limit your ability to earn a living."


"In 2021, the average disability benefit is $1,277 per month and the maximum payment is $3,148 per month (if you are able to attain the required level of income to reach this benefit amount). This means that, across the whole year, the average disability recipient will receive approximately $15,324 in benefits and the highest earners will receive $37,776."

[Duke4life831]

Why do the Pelicans trade Ingram ?.

People have questioned the Ingram/Zion fit from day 1. Ben is the better floor raiser. Having a better floor raiser could be a great thing for them with the question marks and Zion. Plus you could have 2/3 of the season for Simmons to build back up his trade value. Then next year they can try the Zion/Simmons fit and if it doesn’t work out they can just flip Simmons.

Plus ya, I’m tired of seeing Ingram being stuck on this team with no signs of it getting better. Zion can’t stay healthy and they still have Griffin as the GM.

I do like the Simmons/Zion fit. I think people need to recognize that Zions main flaw is defense which Simmons can cover in ways that are tiers better than Ingram. Offensively Simmons is timid and Zion is aggressive. I don't see them getting in the way of each other too often. They can also play each others position when they other sits on the bench or is injured. And finally, their transition game would be great. The mismatches and passing from Simmons to Zion could also be very valuable.

Yup. And you can still have a very high power offense with two guys that aren’t perimeter threats. Now when you get to 3 guys out there at once they can hit from the perimeter, that is when I think you start to see spacing issues. But if you put a 3pt shooting center (JV is doing damn good in that aspect so far) and 2 other perimeter guys that are legit 3pt threats, they will be just fine offensively. Zion has also never played with a half court passer as good as Ben.

[tbhawksfan1]

Simmons is taking 0 shots per game and scoring 0 pts per game this year.

Somehow he isnt even getting any rebounds or assists.

But good for Morey for standing his ground! What an amazing GM! 4D Chess!

You blame klutch and Simmons on this. He has guarantee super max rookie extension contract for 4 years.

So do players want to use Simmons as next example of the cba…no more 5 year guarantee max/super max contracts? How about 2 years with team option for third year? That will go real well with the players union who have fought long and hard for long term guaranteed contracts

No player of Simmons age (just turn 25, all nba 3rd team, 3 time all start) in a competing team has ever been traded with 4 years left in their contract

Closest was Vince carter and he was on a bad Toronto raptors team with 2.5 years left.

So if sixers (more like embiid goes down for the season). Than Simmons can be traded quickly for 20 cents on the dollar simply cause sixers want to tank for the season.

I wont blame Klutch or Simmons, sorry. I blame Morey and the Sixers ownership. They mismanaged a key asset, that's on them.

This has nothing to do with Simmons age or the length of his contract.

Simmons was in trade rumors all last year despite playing well the last two regular seasons.

Morey attempted to trade him mid-season and for all intents and purposes the deal was basically done: it was a two horse race between Brooklyn and Philly for Harden.

Then after averaging near a triple double while guarding the opposing team's best player in the playoffs, Simmons was thrown under the bus by his head coach and his co-star in the worst and most public way.

Embiid blamed the game 7 loss on Simmons not taking the dunk and when the Sixers wouldnt have even gotten to the 2nd round let alone a game 7 without Simmons and his defense. Not to mention he shot 60%+ in the playoffs.

Doc Rivers was asked point blank if he could trust Simmons to be the PG for future title runs and his response was "I dont know"

Multiple former and current athletes (in the NBA and NFL) said that if their coach or fellow star made those types of comments then the bridge is burned, the relationship is over. Neither came out and defended him until training camp was over and they were trying to save face. Neither Doc or Embiid attempted to repair the relationship. Again that's on them to do not Ben.

It would be one thing if Simmons played zero defense and shot 30% in the playoffs but that wasnt the case. He was the scapegoat for another epic playoff collapse by Doc Rivers, simple as that.

Couple that with the hostile fanbase in Philly, why would anyone want to continue to play in a city where the fans, the coach, and your fellow co-star does not want anything to do with you. Add in the attempted trade last season by Morey, what's left?

Simmons clearly feels that his contribution to the team both regular season and playoffs is unappreciated and deservedly so. He wants out and privately asked for a trade before the Bucks even won the championship.

Meanwhile an owner can just ship a player out without his input, many times to a terrible team, for no reason other than to clear cap space.

The Clippers, the team Blake Griffin was drafted by, put on a show, raised a banner with his name, and compared him to Martin Luther King Jr all in an attempt to sign him. He had other options and chose to stay loyal and stay home in LA.

How did the Clippers reward him? By trading him to ice cold Detroit and the league worst Pistons. No one says anything about that. They did him dirty and guess what he couldnt do anything about it because he signed a contract.

So if the owners can on a whim trade a player who they just signed and promised the world to without any consequences why would the CBA change if all of a sudden Ben Simmons wanted a trade?

No one slammed Kyrie Irving for asking out after LeBron carried him to a championship and three straight Finals. He didnt even speak to his teammates during their last run to the Finals and then asked out. All because he felt he was in LeBron's shadow. The coaches, the players, the ownership, and most importantly LeBron were all heaping praise on him the entire time. Yet he wanted out. Sucks but that's his right as a player. The Cavs got the best they could for him while shipping him to a team he wanted to play for. That's a classy organization (shocking that the POS Dan Gilbert looks like a saint in comparison to Morey/Sixers ownership in this situation)

Kyrie is being paid 17M to sit at home because he is the only player in the entire NBA who doesnt want to get vaccinated.

Ben Simmons was nearly traded, shet on by Doc and Embiid, and is hated by the fans in Philly. Why is he obligated to come back and play in that kind of environment? I dont know many other players who would, especially not a young guy in his prime.

You might not like Klutch or Ben Simmons as a person, but he has a right to ask for a trade, as many other players have done so in the past.

The Sixers ownership and hard headed Morey bungled this in the worst way possible. They could have attempted to trade him in the offseason but instead chose to hold out in hopes he would come back when he left the city and told the team he would never return. The only reason he even came back and showed up was to collect a few million dollars, that's it.

When he refused to show up, Morey incorrectly assumed that the Sixers would be ok without Simmons (not the case as shown by their record and by Embiid playing tons of minutes) and incorrectly assumed that other teams would get desperate and up their trade offers.

Now all that has happened is that the Sixers' reputation and Simmons trade value have gone straight down the toilet.

As constructed the Sixers wont make it out of the 2nd round, Klutch sports has nothing to do with that, Morey does.

If the CBA changes it will be in the players' favor, every player is watching closely, no one wants to be held hostage by a team they dont want to play for.

What a waste of time and space. Your first sentence was all that was needed to show that you don't have a clue

[ITYSL]

It's all well and good to side with Morey and the 76ers over their standoff with Simmons. What Simmons has done here is lame. But in the end, what the team is looking at right now is yet another 1st or 2nd round exit, with $33m taken up in wasted cap. Embiid is a perennial injury risk and will be turning 28 this season. The window is closing fast.

[stormi]

It's all well and good to side with Morey and the 76ers over their standoff with Simmons. What Simmons has done here is lame. But in the end, what the team is looking at right now is yet another 1st or 2nd round exit, with $33m taken up in wasted cap. Embiid is a perennial injury risk and will be turning 28 this season. The window is closing fast.

You say this like:

a) Simmons reporting back

or

b) Moving Simmons for Brogdon or McCollum

changes anything. Or do you believe there's a realistic move that can be made right now that Daryl Morey is refusing to, that would elevate the Sixers into championship contenders.

[anotherhomer]

Ben should had been professional to show up to camp, say the right things to media "we ready to move forward", give 'reasonable' effort for a month

Perhaps team could agree to the 'Ben will be away from camp" due to undisclosed personal issue.

That's what Goran Dragic is doing right now.
He didn't want to be in Toronto but he showed up, and was professional.
Now he's granted his personal leave of absence until something can be worked out.

[Pointgod]

It's all well and good to side with Morey and the 76ers over their standoff with Simmons. What Simmons has done here is lame. But in the end, what the team is looking at right now is yet another 1st or 2nd round exit, with $33m taken up in wasted cap. Embiid is a perennial injury risk and will be turning 28 this season. The window is closing fast.

You say this like:

a) Simmons reporting back

or

b) Moving Simmons for Brogdon or McCollum

changes anything. Or do you believe there's a realistic move that can be made right now that Daryl Morey is refusing to, that would elevate the Sixers into championship contenders.

Even with Simmons, the Sixers currently constructed aren’t championship contenders. The championship or bust mentality from Morey and the 76ers is foolish because the players that could get them to that level aren’t available for trade, much less for Ben Simmons. Even the guys that get them to WCF or bust aren’t available.

[SecondTake]

I'm going to say this as respectfully as I can- that's not the 76ers' problem. Once again, they aren't forcing him to work....they are just not paying him to not work. Ben is a multi-millionaire...if the mental struggles are so bad right now that he can't perform his job, take the year off and get better. A company shouldn't have to pay him millions of dollars for it though.

your twisting words. his mental health is related to sixers. if the sixers trade him he can perform his job thats why he said any team than the sixers. this isnt rocket science. ben isnt as rich as you say he needs money until end of extension for generational wealth he is in the process of getting rich. sixers need to pay him once they signed him retiring him bc of mental health is another matter.

Ah Ben isn't rich, haven't heard that one before

Sent from my SM-G950W using RealGM mobile app

[ITYSL]

It's all well and good to side with Morey and the 76ers over their standoff with Simmons. What Simmons has done here is lame. But in the end, what the team is looking at right now is yet another 1st or 2nd round exit, with $33m taken up in wasted cap. Embiid is a perennial injury risk and will be turning 28 this season. The window is closing fast.

You say this like:

a) Simmons reporting back

or

b) Moving Simmons for Brogdon or McCollum

changes anything. Or do you believe there's a realistic move that can be made right now that Daryl Morey is refusing to, that would elevate the Sixers into championship contenders.

This is a good question, and my answer to (b) is quite possibly yes. As we saw last season, injuries to championship contenders (Nets, Lakers, Clippers) can vault other teams into a stronger contender status (Bucks, Hawks, Suns). So yes, improving the team by replacing a non-playing Simmons with someone who is an impact player, even if he's not a superstar, could help the Sixers get past the 2nd round and perhaps be championship contenders. Once the playoffs come around, injuries to other teams can occur and then who knows what can happen.

Maxey is emerging, Curry is one of the best 3-point shooters in the league, Thybulle is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, and Embiid is one of the best if not the best big in the league. Adding another playmaker or wing could help take the team over the top in the end. They may be the 7 seed now but they're only a few games out of a top 4 seed, and Embiid has missed a bunch of games. This is easily a top 4 EC team if healthy, and if they add a decent piece, they could upset anyone.

[rzzzzz]

your twisting words. his mental health is related to sixers. if the sixers trade him he can perform his job thats why he said any team than the sixers. this isnt rocket science. ben isnt as rich as you say he needs money until end of extension for generational wealth he is in the process of getting rich. sixers need to pay him once they signed him retiring him bc of mental health is another matter.

After game 7 Ben said he had to work on his game. Then he heard it, not just from Doc and JoJo, but from the world. Then he demanded a trade. Then Rich Paul said that Maxey had to leave as well. Then Ben wouldn’t meet with his team mates. Then he didn’t turn up for camp. Then it was discovered that despite the tens of million$ he had already earned, he was cash poor, probably for all the luxury housing and exotic cars and vacationing with covergirl models. Then he showed up in Philly, but couldn’t play because he had a bad back. And finally, he tells his team mates that he is mentally “UNPREPARED”, which is how the item is specified in the players’ agreement.

“Mental health” “related to the sixers”? Now there’s a diagnosis for the ages. Maybe one of the criteria should be “traumatized by having another team mate who the franchise is built around, instead of patient”. Or “hysteria related to expectation of development”. Seriously, I’d like to see him back on the court with us. Otherwise I look forward to the trade. But making this like a legitimate disability issue is an insult to all the unpampered non-millionaire victims of dehabilitating challenges. The dude signed a max contract that he doesn’t want to fulfill. Fine. His feelings are hurt. If it’s that important to you, sell a house or a couple of cars, and continue your life of luxury as you sit it out until the franchise you put out gets a commensurate offer.

[stormi]

It's all well and good to side with Morey and the 76ers over their standoff with Simmons. What Simmons has done here is lame. But in the end, what the team is looking at right now is yet another 1st or 2nd round exit, with $33m taken up in wasted cap. Embiid is a perennial injury risk and will be turning 28 this season. The window is closing fast.

You say this like:

a) Simmons reporting back

or

b) Moving Simmons for Brogdon or McCollum

changes anything. Or do you believe there's a realistic move that can be made right now that Daryl Morey is refusing to, that would elevate the Sixers into championship contenders.

Even with Simmons, the Sixers currently constructed aren’t championship contenders.

This is exactly why there's nothing to lose with Daryl playing hardball. The idea that 'The Sixers are wasting a championship window' is inherently false. I'd rather see this saga out than to make a move that changes nothing.

[kuclas]

Ben should had been professional to show up to camp, say the right things to media "we ready to move forward", give 'reasonable' effort for a month

Perhaps team could agree to the 'Ben will be away from camp" due to undisclosed personal issue.

That's what Goran Dragic is doing right now.
He didn't want to be in Toronto but he showed up, and was professional.
Now he's granted his personal leave of absence until something can be worked out.

Dragon is an expiring. Completely different situation

If Simmons was expiring. He be long gone by now. Even with 2 years left. He be long gone.

Never in the history of the current nba in the last 20 plus season has a player of Simmons age and length of contract and team NOT REBUILDING has a player forced a trade outside of paul George to clippers. And clippers for a kings ransom for him (but that was also a special situation cause it involved getting Leonard to sign as a free agent as long as George was traded)

So basically no player of Simmons contract length (plus team not tanking) has forced a trade.

[anotherhomer]

Ben could had played his cards a lot better...
And be more patient

[GeorgeSears]

Morey is really doing every team a huge favor by holding the line and not being pressured to trade Simmons for peanuts. You don't want that precedent set where a player with multiple years left on his deal can demand a trade and force the team to acquiesce to his demands. Especially if it's to go to a larger market. Keep holding the line.

[Tomjas]

The Sixers are just as good without Sim……

As you were

[michaelm]

your twisting words. his mental health is related to sixers. if the sixers trade him he can perform his job thats why he said any team than the sixers. this isnt rocket science. ben isnt as rich as you say he needs money until end of extension for generational wealth he is in the process of getting rich. sixers need to pay him once they signed him retiring him bc of mental health is another matter.

After game 7 Ben said he had to work on his game. Then he heard it, not just from Doc and JoJo, but from the world. Then he demanded a trade. Then Rich Paul said that Maxey had to leave as well. Then Ben wouldn’t meet with his team mates. Then he didn’t turn up for camp. Then it was discovered that despite the tens of million$ he had already earned, he was cash poor, probably for all the luxury housing and exotic cars and vacationing with covergirl models. Then he showed up in Philly, but couldn’t play because he had a bad back. And finally, he tells his team mates that he is mentally “UNPREPARED”, which is how the item is specified in the players’ agreement.

“Mental health” “related to the sixers”? Now there’s a diagnosis for the ages. Maybe one of the criteria should be “traumatized by having another team mate who the franchise is built around, instead of patient”. Or “hysteria related to expectation of development”. Seriously, I’d like to see him back on the court with us. Otherwise I look forward to the trade. But making this like a legitimate disability issue is an insult to all the unpampered non-millionaire victims of dehabilitating challenges. The dude signed a max contract that he doesn’t want to fulfill. Fine. His feelings are hurt. If it’s that important to you, sell a house or a couple of cars, and continue your life of luxury as you sit it out until the franchise you put out gets a commensurate offer.

Can’t defend him overall, but I do think the angst he had from his family issues last year was likely considerable and he probably felt he didn’t get much support from anyone. Even Michael Jordan wasn’t immune to family issues.

[rzzzzz]

Can’t defend him overall, but I do think the angst he had from his family issues last year was likely considerable and he probably felt he didn’t get much support from anyone. Even Michael Jordan wasn’t immune to family issues.

No argument there. But even before his sister publicly accused and then retracted, it seemed weird that his half-brother would be the best coach he could get. Kind of an insular entourage. And curious that whatever guidance he got from a pro dad he appeared so detached when we saw him in high school and college. (And shooting left handed to no great success.)

[michaelm]

Can’t defend him overall, but I do think the angst he had from his family issues last year was likely considerable and he probably felt he didn’t get much support from anyone. Even Michael Jordan wasn’t immune to family issues.

No argument there. But even before his sister publicly accused and then retracted, it seemed weird that his half-brother would be the best coach he could get. Kind of an insular entourage. And curious that whatever guidance he got from a pro dad he appeared so detached when we saw him in high school and college. (And shooting left handed to no great success.)

Sure, he appears to have chronic family issues as well as the acute issue last season.

By any standards his brother was a dismal failure as his shooting coach, so both the Sixers letting him continue as coach and Ben not wanting +/- refusing more professional coaching was ridiculous. The left handed shooting thing from his father has also likely been damaging, although we don’t know whether he would have been a better shooter if he had stuck with his natural dominant hand. Still his reliance on his brother probably made things worse for him in the circumstances which arose last year, which I won’t argue against being a further reason his brother shouldn’t be so involved with his basketball career.

I think you are correct about the insular entourage thing. You can perhaps get away with same if you are a genuine superstar like LeBron or Kawhi, although perhaps only barely in Kawhi’s case, but Simmons while obviously talented and better than many as an NBA player in general is too flawed to be an outright superstar, and it would seem likely too flawed to be a franchise player below the level of the outright superstars of the game as well. Journeyman players which he is not are also often over-rated by their families to their detriment, cf Pat McCaw at GSW who is now out of the NBA. I am hazy about the details, but Iirc one of the pre-Embiid centers who resulted from the process was similar and knocked back a lucrative contract which was perhaps partly on his agent and proved to be only a journeyman subsequently.

The entourage/posse thing is not unique to NBA basketball, and serves to insulate more than a few top sportsmen from wider reality imo.