Ben Simmons "Great Hopes, Great Disappointments"

     Hi everyone. I hope you are having a good day. Today's topic is Ben Simmons and his turbulent career. Let's start with his career beginning.

        I can say that he is the first person to come back to our memory when anyone says the biggest disappointing NBA players. First, we have to talk about "Why did we have such high expectations for him?".

        When the 2016-2016 draft approached, it was considered certain that Ben Simmons would be selected from the 1st pick. He was making a mess at college games. He was a tall, tall guard with long arms who could defend very well, could not stop fast attacks, and could also pass very well. The Philadelphia 76'ers, who will pick first in this draft, chose Simmons without surprise and included him in the team.

        Disappointment started before the season started. While I was playing with my friend in that year's NBA game (I had chosen Philadelphia), I saw a post on Instagram "Ben Simmons Closed the Season!!!!".I was very upset, but I couldn't establish a connection in the end because he hadn't played yet. Philly finished that season as second-last in the Eastern Conference and fourth-last in the NBA overall. The following season, Simmons recovered from injury and practically shouldered his team. In his first season playing Simmons In (2016-2017), Philly placed third in the Eastern Conference and 5th overall in the NBA standings. They were not a very good duo with Embiid but their chemistry was enough for winning. He won the Rookie of the Year Award with an average of 16 8 8 in his first season. Everything was perfect. Big messages were given to the fans under the name "Trust the process", but there was a shortcoming. 

        Simmons was criticized by the media for not using a three-pointer. When the criticisms, which were sometimes serious and heavy, sometimes mocking and humiliating, started to be made by the fans, the regression began. As you already know, Philly fans are one of the toughest fans in the NBA. This effect caused him to regress, as Simmons is also fragile in personality. No matter what, he was afraid to shoot three-pointers in matches. Over time, he won't throw anything other than a layup . He wasn't even shooting at medium range. This made it a weapon that can only be used in fast breaks. He was doing a good job in this regard, but his other teammates were not suitable for the fast break plan. Especially since Embiid was trying to gain the upper hand against the player with his physique, the fast break game did not suit him. This situation turned into a conflict of interest within the team, but somehow they continued on their way. 

        Eventually, the media and basketball fans realized that Simmons might not be the player of their dreams, but would be a great mission player. He is an average player who defends very well, can score points quickly in fast breaks and can pass well. 

        Unfortunately, this thought did not last long. In the Play-Offs of the 2020-2021 season, they were paired with the Hawks in the conference semifinals. They lost the match 4-3. If you watch the series, especially games six and seven, you will see that the mistakes Simmons made were huge. The main source of these mistakes is the fear of shooting and the lack of self-confidence that he has had since the early days of his acting. At the end of the series, Joel Embiid, their coach Doc Rivers made very heavy criticisms of Simmons. Admittedly, he had made mistakes, but they spoke heavily as if the elimination was only his fault. As a result of this, it was obvious that the ropes were bad.

        They tried to trade Simmons for the next season but couldn't find a team and Simmons didn't play a season, citing a back injury. After one full season without playing, Brooklyn and Philly agreed to trade Simmons and James Harden. In fact, this swap was profitable for both teams. The two players, who were not satisfied with their teams, finally went to a team where they could turn a new page.

        Although Simmons did not start his season in Brooklyn very well, after adapting a little, he at least helps his team by trying to do the tasks given to him. They currently average 7 6 6 in Brooklyn. As a matter of fact, it's a disgrace for a player like him, for whom much is expected, but considering his career, there are people who are grateful even for that.

        As a result, this incident shows us that no matter how good an actor we are, character and behavior are also effective in our careers. Criticism may only be about the field at first, but the (or not) response to it, the relationship with the team, and the mismanagement of factors such as self-explanation can create such disappointments.

        Thanks so much for reading my blog. I hope you like it. See you in the next blogs, take care...