I understand what Simmons is saying but he’s gotta read the room. He’s not in a position to say that a team catering to the better player is not conducive to his style of play.
When was the last time you had a guy be the leader of his team but wasn't the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd option on offense? Ben Wallace? Mutombo in Denver? I don't recall too many instances where that was the case.
It does happen, often (but not the norm), but the 3-peat Lakers, most of the team said that Derek Fisher was the leader of the team. With the Warriors, in 2014-16, they said it was Andre Iguodala. Just because a guy can score alot of points does not mean he's leadership material. Even being the best player on the team is only that. I thought there were some pretty great players in NBA history, who were either terrible leaders or had negative impact on the locker room and team morale. Most controversial is MJ. His fans thought he was great for his intensity, superbly high standards, and confrontational style. Others thought he was overbearing, selfish, did not trust teammates, got into fights with teammates, and was often above them with all regards.
I don't mean like an inspirational leader or a lockerroom leader--I mean like that's the guy that will anchor your offense, defense or both. I imagine it's rarer in today's NBA because you expect the guy who's either going to anchor your defense or lead your team on offense to be the leader. While Ben is an elite defensive player, he's not the end-all-be-all presence like a Rudy Gobert or a table setter like Draymond on those championship teams. I don't know...I just find it hard to put Simmons in a leadership role (e.g. "I want my own team") because, from a basketball standpoint, how are his teammates going to follow him into battle if they know he could disappear in crunch time and be on the bench because he can't hit his free throws? From an off-court POV, would they even treat him as a leader when they've seen how he's responded to (correct) criticisms of his game and lack of improvement since his rookie year? Like if I'm Jalen Green and I'm putting in work as a rookie to get to that next level...and the leader of my team is fine with who he is as a player (even though I know he can be so much more)....I would feel some type of way about that. Same would go for a guy like Tate who had to claw his way to get into the NBA and now he has to look to someone who's coasted his way through the NBA to be the leader of the team?
I don't think it is Simmons's skills that disqualify him as a leader. It's his character. Every time he is quoted, he says something that reeks of "me first" attitude. Nobody wants to follow a me-first leader. Not to mention, a leader would not shy away from challenges, you know, like taking a shot when you are wide open less than 10 ft from the basket, or avoiding contact because it might send you to the FT line. Who wants to follow a guy like that?
Agreed and that goes along with my remark about how serious we should take this guy for saying he wants to leave Philly because he wants his own team...to more or less be THE guy? Like he's shown little to nothing over the past few years that tells me he can lead a team and not get butthurt if the blame gets put on him....which goes back to my stance on not wanting this kid on the Rockets. Like what does this team of young and impressionable players gain by adding Ben Simmons to the equation, even if it means only giving up a couple of picks attached to John Wall? If/when Jalen Green develops into an All-Star player, he's going to look around and wonder "why the hell am I letting this guy be the alpha when he doesn't exhibit any leadership qualities?".
Ben has undeniable all-star talent, but his drive (on the higher-end of play) is what's questionable. He may never be an excellent offensive player, as we say, but he could be defensively. Though, like you say, you didn't mean like an inspirational or locker-room leader, but that's kind of the problem. He can't really set the tone for a team in any of these capacities. Add-in, he's cold-shoulder treatment to everyone with the Sixers, and perhaps the city, itself. Along with his preferred destinations, teammates may not be able to rally behind Ben, as is. He does not motivate them or trigger any thing for them.
That’s a good example. Who are the other point guards? Lowry was at least the 3rd option for the championship Raptors. Nash could be considered as a 3rd option behind Amare and Marion. Parker went from third to primary as Duncan got older. Stockton was, what, maybe 3rd behind Malone and Hornacek?
Simmons definitely needs a fresh start. I would be shocked if he could "win" back the fans in Philadelphia, at this point. It would probably be more of a challenge than getting back in good graces with his teammates there. Purely a guess on my part. I don't know. When I thought of the Jazz back then, it was always "Stockton and Malone," regardless of the roll Hornacek played. I hated that pair with a passion.
The point I was trying to make is that it’s already hard finding a player that can lead a team in the locker room but also by his play on the court as well. It’s even harder to find a leader that can do both but defer/rely on his teammates to carry the bulk of the scoring load. It’s cliche to think of it in this way but there’s going to be a point where your teammates are going to look at you or count on you to make that crucial bucket as a leader even if it’s a putback layup. If you don’t have the testicular fortitude to come through in those kinds of moments…I don’t know if running your own team at the NBA level and being “the man” is a job best suited for you.
undeniable allstarr talent? lololol his talent is arguably deniable...if you by talent mean potential then yes but then hundred(s) of players in this league have the allstar potential its funny how some are hellbent on getting this deeply flawed and highly problematic player with red flags all over him lolololol like hes the only player in the world and guy cant even do basic basketball things like shooting or an open dunk....lololol
The point here is that we have a player who's just a hugely overpaid assistant coach, and a bunch of mystery boxes (picks) that may amount to zilch. So trading that for Ben Simmons is not a big loss... with all his warts, Simmons is at least a known quantity, he has some value. I dunno I've been back and forth on this... Looks like nothing new can be said, we are just going in circles here... Fact is there are pros and cons, and likely nothing will happen, but if it happen it will still be not clear if it is a good or a bad thing for quite some time... I think.
Here's the thing Ben's already an all-star, 3x all star at that. Also, all-defensive player as well. So, it's not a matter of potential, he's accomplished this already. Though, his game is flawed, because he is a poor shooter and below average scorer. That's the only real tangible hole in his game. He's drive and crunch time instincts are something else beyond his game. He has the talent and the accomplishment, only being 24 years old, but some of his flaws have been heavily displayed, because he is on a primer team. If he played for Sacramento or Minnesota, most critics would look the other way or not be too concerned about his behavior.
Ben Simmons is a damn effective regular season player. He will help you get wins to get to the playoffs (granted that the team has good talent around him). The playoffs is where his liability lies. His offensive abilities allow him to do well in the regular season. So he is still a damn good player, the problem is that you better have some incredibly shooters around him during the playoffs and be ready to kill his ego when you have to sit him in the playoffs because he is costing your team on the offensive end during the playoffs. Obviously, it's hard to pay max money to a player like that, I'm 100% with you on that, I definitely wouldn't pay it myself, but he is a very talented individual. I think this whole issue has severely underrated his abilities as a player. A team like the Wolves could definitely benefit from a guy like Simmons. Their fanbase is thirsty to just make the playoffs, not to win championships. Not every franchise measures their success on championships, since realistically there will only be a couple of contenders a year. It doesn't mean you don't strive to be a contender, but you have to start somewhere.
The funny thing is the Sixers and Embiid did all they could to cater to Simmons' style of play. They purposely got shooters like Seth Curry and Danny Green and Embiid even started playing as a stretch 5 to accommodate him.
