Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers. (Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports)
The Philadelphia 76ers have a lot to prove this season after the most tumultuous offseason in the NBA. They may have the most important questions to answer in basketball.
The Philadelphia 76ers spent the entire offseason in the NBA news cycle. They gave content to blogs, podcasts, daily talk shows, and newspapers alike. All because of one reason. Ben Simmons. The 76ers second “star” hasn’t been happy and demanded a trade after falling all over himself in the postseason. Last year was the best the 76ers have looked post “The Process”, but they failed to make it further than the second round. During this “process”, they’ve never even made it to the Eastern Conference Finals.
This season, it’s time to actually live up to the hype. But how can they with this Ben Simmons situation still holding over their head? They apparently still want a king’s ransom to get Simmons off the roster. This, despite the fact Simmons isn’t even showing up to training camp or the preseason. It’s going to continue to be a distraction throughout the preseason and into the regular season.
Can the Philadelphia 76ers excel with so many questions surrounding them going into the season?
Despite every headline tying to Ben Simmons, this isn’t the only question the 76ers need to answer. There’s actually quite a bit of uncertainty with this roster. Obviously, they’d love to get someone who can help them win a championship in a Simmons deal, but if they have to settle for futures, what is this roster?
The 76ers come into this season with Doc Rivers as head coach. He isn’t here to rebuild around Joel Embiid, he’s here to win a championship. They need to figure some things out first.