Is Ben Simmons still relevant?

Seven years into the NBA with career total earnings of $163 million would describe an All-Star caliber franchise player that should regularly lead a team to a long run during the post season.  Well, this is not the case for Ben Simmons, Philadelphia’s number 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.

He did not play a single game during his rookie year because of a right foot injury but for the next three seasons came back strong, winning the ROY honors in 2018 and was selected to the NBA All-Star Game twice.  Then injuries happened, real or imagined.

The conjured disablement resulted in missed training camp, missed practices and team meetings, missed preseason games and missing the season opener.  Simmons also refused to cooperate with team doctors which forced the team to sanction him.

The Sixers gave him fines totaling $19 million, making Simmons the most fined player in NBA history.  A ‘fine’ player we could say.

This led to a parting of ways which brought him to Brooklyn in February of 2022 together with Andre Drummond, Seth Curry and two future first round picks.  Philly got James Harden and Paul Millsap which also did not end well.

With the Nets, he was diagnosed with a herniated disc in his back and was ruled out for the remainder of the season and eventually had back surgery.

Between 2022 and 2024, Simmons only played 57 games with 45 starts, averaging a total of 6.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists.  A big dip from his Philly days where he had All-Star numbers.

He missed the first 38 games last season.  Making his season debut last January, Simmons submitted decent numbers in a win over Utah.  But he only played in 15 more games because of a pinched nerve on his back, which led to another procedure.

Latest updates from the Nets say that doctors had cleared him for 5-on-5 and should be ready for training camp next month.

A 6-10 point guard, Simmons, now 28, had been one of the best in the league but as I had said earlier, injuries happened.  It is doubtful if Simmons can get back to his All-Star self.  He better do so that he can validate and prove to everyone that he’s worthy of the $40.3 million he’ll receive for the 2024-2025 season, the final year of his contract.

It is unlikely that the Nets will re-sign him, unless somehow he makes a strong impression and again be relevant in the league.