Philadelphia 76ers suspend Ben Simmons for their season opener

HOW BOUT HERE Bobbyh  This is turning into James Harden 2.0

PHILADELPHIA -- The 76ers announced Tuesday afternoon that Ben Simmons has been suspended one game for conduct detrimental to the team, which will cause him to miss the team's season-opening game in New Orleans against the Pelicans on Wednesday night.

The statement was released late in the team's practice Tuesday, after Simmons had been thrown out of practice by 76ers coach Doc Rivers, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Essentially, Simmons was tossed for refusing to participate in the next stage of the session, sources told Wojnarowski.

Simmons' reluctance to physically and mentally engage with the Sixers since his return has been a consistent theme, sources told Wojnarowski.


Tuesday was the third straight day Simmons had practiced with the team after clearing the NBA's reentry health and safety protocols Friday. He returned to the team on Oct. 11 after missing the first two weeks of practice, as he held out in the hopes of getting his trade request from the offseason fulfilled.

He worked with the second team in practice both Sunday and Monday, and immediately left the court the moment both practices ended.

Rivers had previously declined to say when Simmons would return to the court with the team for a game.

This is his ploy, he showed up, acted up, now is suspended but they will pay him James Harden all over again. Even John Wall is getting paid to sit.

Trade him to Siberia! All that money, what a world we are living in. Sorry, no pity here for him, I wish they would not have to pay him a nickel Spoiled brat

After how they spoke about him after the playoffs, they deserve this. Should have Fired Doc.

And the Celts cut Jabari Parker. Hmmm!

Harden's plan worked as he got to join the Nets.  

I do not see how Simmons can expect to rehabilitate his image to the point where a contending team is willing to take him on.

There should be a mandatory clause in their contracts that would void the money owed them if they refuse to engage in team activities like practicing.  Simmons is acting like a petulant child.  No big boy pants for him.  

I do not feel one bit sorry for the Sixers but I do not like the trends that we are seeing in the NBA where a player refuses to do his job

I probably have no right to say this since I don't know the guy, but Simmons seems petulant, self-abdorbed, and just plain old soft. I see no chance of him being a superstar. Best case scenario for his career at this point is that he eventually displays some true humility and becomes a solid role player providing D and playmaking. He was the same draft class as Jaylen and Ingram. Sat out his 1st year due to injury but win "rookie" of the year over Tatum and Donovan Mitchell his second year. Hard to believe he was once considered a better prospect than Brown, Ingram, Tatum, and Mitchell.

Before we jump all over Simmons ass lets not forget who the frigging head honcho is here, President Daryl Morey. As far as I’m concerned he’s just as big a culprit. Look at his track record, every move he has made with the Rockets and 76ers has been combustible. He’s running the show and its his job to fix this situation. He’s been trying to trade Simmons since he got there and now that he wants to be traded, the A**hole cant find a decent deal to move him?
Ben Simmons has his issues and he has to take some of the blame but so does Coach Doc (“Ben, shooting is not an issue I’m concerned about, just be yourself.” he said at the beginning of last year) and Embiid who stunk up the joint as well.
What they said after game 7 about Simmons was unforgivable. As a coach Doc knows better, his media savvy is 2nd to none so don’t give me that crap about I was misunderstood. Rivers drove the bus and Embiid was riding shotgun when they ran over Ben after that game 7 loss.  
I don’t blame Simmons for not wanting to play with those backstabbers.
Today Embiid says, “I don’t care about that man”. That “not caring” didn’t just start today. He’s never cared for Simmons and its obvious that he blames everyone but himself for this teams misfortunes. Embiid sucks as a leader of that team and needs to get his own house in order. In he meantime he needs to shut his pie hole.
Doc did what he thought is right by sending Ben home without his ball. Cool. But don’t ever expect for him to ever play for you again.
Again, Ben is wrong for not working on his game and then holding out. But to say he is a spoiled brat and needs to be sent into orbit somewhere is terribly one sided. How many players have we screwed in Massachusetts? I’ll wait.
This Philly organization is one of the worst at drafting, trading, and obtaining players in free agency.
The list is way too long at how many players have been through there and either came out worse than they went in or excelled elsewhere.
I don’t see Embiid or Doc ever winning a title in Philly and I’m more than happy about that.
Morley needs to make a move one way or the other. He’s lucky that I’m not the owner because he’d be the first swing *7%k headed out the door.
Trade him. Get it done. Do.Your.Job!

Fair points Ktron. Still, my gut tells me the kid is mentally soft and is never going to be the superstar he and others envisioned.

Shamrock1000 wrote:Fair points Ktron. Still, my gut tells me the kid is mentally soft and is never going to be the superstar he and others envisioned.

And you may be right. I’m not his biggest fan either but fair is fair and I think that team turning their back on him publicly was a disgrace.

Ktron wrote:

Shamrock1000 wrote:Fair points Ktron. Still, my gut tells me the kid is mentally soft and is never going to be the superstar he and others envisioned.

And you may be right. I’m not his biggest fan either but fair is fair and I think that team turning their back on him publicly was a disgrace.

That I will agree with

Ktron

You need to go work for the Sisters of St Mary's

This is a guy who went to college for one half a year, when his team did not make the NCAA tournament and asked him to participate in the NIT tournament, he walked away. I have never liked his attitude. He has been touted for years as the next great point guard, superstar, etc. He is running away from adversity, do it once and it will follow him wherever he goes. Talent does not make you a star, it is what is in your heart, and this kid, right now, has no heart

Will the Sixers take Josh Richardson, Hernangomez, Schroder, Fernando and Nesmith/Langford for Simmons? I will be happy to do that.

dboss wrote:Ktron

You need to go work for the Sisters of St Mary's

I did and 6 months in we mutually agreed to part ways.

(Here’s your hat now what’s your hurry) :-)

Just what we need, a head case. I am not giving doc our two bench players who are going to excel this year. Let him suffer with simmons

Prakash, As the man on the Wire used to say, “sheeeeet”
I’d do it in a heartbeat.

Ktron wrote:Prakash, As the man on the Wire used to say, “sheeeeet”
I’d do it in a heartbeat.

You were joking right?

Rosalie,

Off to see the wizard, looking for a heart.

Sadly, the final answer to that story don't work here.

Lastly, Philly's pain is our gain.  They should forever suffer for the shameful "Process".

I wouldn't trade either Nesmith or Langford straight up for that head case.Kyrie "I'll play when I want to "II is a non-starter. Like him or not, Embeid plays his ass off. Expecting his teammates to do the same doesn't seem that unreasonable to me. Part of your job as a basketball player is to shoot the damn ball. If you refuse to take open shots everybody else has to work harder.

cowens/oldschool wrote:

Ktron wrote:Prakash, As the man on the Wire used to say, “sheeeeet”
I’d do it in a heartbeat.

You were joking right?

No. Sans Nesmith. The rest can go.

jrleftfoot wrote:I wouldn't trade either Nesmith or Langford straight up for that head case.Kyrie "I'll play when I want to "II is a non-starter. Like him or not, Embeid plays his ass off. Expecting his teammates to do the same doesn't seem that  unreasonable to me. Part of your job as a basketball player is to shoot the damn ball. If you refuse to take open shots everybody else has to work harder.

Dude just started to play a full season in shape. Play his ass off?

Find me a player that is 6-10 can defend at a high level and play point or the 4, I’ll take my chances. Part of the head case is because he’s in Philly. Watch what happens when he goes somewhere else.
Suddenly those anxiety’s disappear.
He doesn’t have to shoot if he gives me everything else. I’ll find me a shooter that makes buckets. Easily.
Ben Simmons has screwed up. Yes. But his problem is fixable.
Having a star teammate who stabs you in the back along with the head coach who told him it’s okay if he does t shoot and then stabs him in the back is not.
Simmons is young and salvageable.
Embiid is not a leader, a cry baby and is not a great teammate.
Doc’s day is coming. Sorry to say because I still like the guy but he F’ed this thing up.
No, the process did not work just like it didn’t work for us in 97 when we were trying to land Duncan

RosalieTCeltics wrote:This is a guy who went to college for one half a year, when his team did not make the NCAA tournament and asked him to participate in the NIT tournament, he walked away.  I have never liked his attitude. He has been touted for years as the next great point guard, superstar, etc.  He is running away from adversity, do it once and it will follow him wherever he goes.  Talent does not make you a star, it is what is in your heart, and this kid, right now, has no heart

I agree with Rosalie on this. He's coming off as a loser. Yeah, Doc and Emblid said mean things about him. A star player would use that as motivation, and play every game to prove them wrong. He'd spend 12 hours a day fixing his shot over the summer, then go out and drop a 30 point game in the opener to shut his critics up, while not passing to Emblid once. Doc's a smart guy... that's probably why he said what he did publicly. But rather than motivating Simmons to step up his game, he took his ball and went home. He doesn't seem to understand that being a star player means hard work ... not just money and adulation. And he's not willing to put that work in, nor does he seem to be able to be coachable. His attitude seems to be that the Sixers don't appreciate his genius, and obviously other teams should be lining up to trade for him. The reality that they aren't, and if he wants to play, he's going to have to swallow his pride and do it in Philly for a while, seems lost on him. His antics at practice show that, and are going to make it even harder to find fair value in a trade for him.

Embid and Tobias Harris wanted to go Australia and work this out over the summer. Simmons people told them not to bother, he wouldn’t see them. Simmons is a broken pampered entitled mental midget in an elite athletes body. He was scared on one side of the ball, refused to work on his shooting for how many years now? How can you get paid to work out, train, work on your game and regress so much? His teammates and franchise just want to win, to compete, this guy is a wimp at heart with mental problems. Everyone misses shots, Steph Curry went 2-10 from 3 last night, no excuse for being so paranoid of fear of failure. How frustrating it must be for Sixer management all these years and they even gave him the benefit of doubt rewarding him with that max contract thinking he and his game would grow up eventually…???

Ktron wrote:Find me a player that is 6-10 can defend at a high level and play point or the 4, I’ll take my chances. Part of the head case is because he’s in Philly. Watch what happens when he goes somewhere else.
Suddenly those anxiety’s disappear.
He doesn’t have to shoot if he gives me everything else. I’ll find me a shooter that makes buckets. Easily.
Ben Simmons has screwed up. Yes. But his problem is fixable.
Having a star teammate who stabs you in the back along with the head coach who told him it’s okay if he does t shoot and then stabs him in the back is not.
Simmons is young and salvageable.
Embiid is not a leader, a cry baby and is not a great teammate.
Doc’s day is coming. Sorry to say because I still like the guy but he F’ed this thing up.
No, the process did not work just like it didn’t work for us in 97 when we were trying to land Duncan

If I was his teammate after years of encouragement and patience I’d be pissed and want him to go away, fixable, he couldn’t fix his perimeter shortcomings how long now, 4 years? And your gonna say it’s fixable, but he’s only regressed as his FT numbers went so far down to the point he won’t even take a 8-10 ft jumper. Then he wouldn’t even dunk with no one on him? You don’t think all the other professional coaches on the payroll haven’t tried to fix his shot and his head…??? So genius how would you fix him?