In Ben Simmons Saga, Sixers Star Has Only The Fans To Overcome

PHILADELPHIA, PA — There was a sportswriter and a 700-level dweller or two who should've listened when Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers spoke during a recent press conference about Ben Simmons.

Rivers, who has been excoriated for defending Simmons in the face of a rabid crowd that doesn't know what else to do with the top-seeded Sixers early playoff exit to an upstart Atlanta Hawks team last spring, said something very simple.

Disagreements like this, he said — between an athlete and a team — happen, for one reason or another all the time. And of course they do. No team of individuals who are among the greatest at what they do on the entire planet, thrown into a high stress, high stakes environment, gets along flawlessly.

The difference here with the Simmons situation is, these disagreements are not typically played out in such dramatically public fashion.

Who is to blame for that is another question. Leaks have been coming out of "Simmons' camp," as multiple ESPN reports have cited over the past several months, indicating that Simmons wants to be traded. All communication with the Sixers has reportedly been through his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports. There's a place to start.

Look at it from Simmons' perspective: he's a four-time All Star and one of the best point guards in the league who hasn't been able to break through to an NBA Championship despite playing alongside an MVP caliber superstar in Joel Embiid, and a rotating supporting cast explicitly designed to complement their needs. Is it so outlandish that he might suggest, let's consider alternatives?

Of course it's not — any competitive athlete with a drive to win would at least think it. Simmons has the misfortune of never connecting with the Philadelphia fanbase the way Joel "Broad Street Bully" Embiid has, but that doesn't change how crucial a part of these Sixers championship contending teams he has been.

Reports surfaced early Monday indicating that Simmons now wants to come back to Philly. Late Monday, he arrived in Philadelphia and is taking a COVID-19 test, presumably a step prior to returning to the team, according to ESPN.

This is the best possible outcome. Simmons' trade value is not high after a rough postseason, but he's the same player. The Sixers were the best team in the East last year with him at the helm, and they can be again; he and Embiid are just coming into their primes.

The biggest thing standing in his way, in the way of the Sixers?

Twitter.