"I won't touch the subject, really not, thank you, I chose to refuse to answer. He's not in the playoffs, so we shouldn't be talking about him. ”
When asked by reporters before the playoff opener, "Would the Nets without Ben Simmons be a bigger challenge for you," the 76ers coach gave the answer.
The reporter's question obviously had ulterior motives, but Rivers' answer was not just for fear of causing trouble again.
As he said, although the Nets have never completely ruled out the possibility of Simmons' comeback in this series, just like the Nets have not determined that Simmons will be reimbursed for the season in the past two months, it makes no difference whether to say it or not.
Since coming off the bench against the Heat on February 16 with 2 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 fouls, Simmons has not played again, including today's game against the Nets, has been 25 consecutive games. The official reason for this is a back injury, but in fact, there may be other reasons why Simmons has not been ready to play, such as his own admission that he has a psychological disability.
When the reporter asked Rivers "whether Simmons' absence is more detrimental to the team's preparation", the theoretical starting point is: in this way, the team does not know which point to focus on defending the opponent, and all five people on the field cannot give up.
Coincidentally, Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Mike Sielski has previously made a similar point in an article:
"From a pure basketball perspective, the Nets could be better without that guy. Indeed, at the start of the season, they had Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, as well as Simmons, who were expected to lead the team further in the playoffs. But that hope soon faded, and the Nets traded Durant to the Suns and Irving to the Lone Ranger, and now their offense is more balanced, especially now that Simmons is gone. ”
For well-known reasons, Philadelphia reporters may inevitably have stereotypes about Simmons, but before this "injury", we have actually seen what kind of chemistry he can have with the new Nets - after the Nets completed the big deal with the Suns, Simmons played a total of four games for the team, all of them were substitutes, averaging 17.3 minutes per game, 4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists, averaging -3.3 points per game, and a team record of 2-2.
It may be excessive to say that Simmons has only a negative effect on the Nets, but there are clear signs that he is no longer in the team's future plans or even dispensable.
Looking at Simmons' career trajectory, his current situation is really embarrassing:
This is a big man who is 6 feet 10 inches tall and has the same speed and agility as a guard. He can't shoot, but even so, he became the undisputed NBA champion in 2016. He has been compared to LeBron James for his amazing physical talent and excellent field vision.
On top of that, he's a top-tier defender with few flaws — a true first to five, named one defense of the year for two consecutive years, and finished second in the 2020-21 Defensive Player of the Year selection. Because of all of the above, he was awarded a five-year, $177 million maximum salary extension, and Embiid was called the Philadelphia Emperors....
However, just as Simmons' defense gained the highest recognition, his offensive flaws were infinitely magnified. In the 2021 playoffs, he was worried about being cut because of poor free throws, gave up easy scoring opportunities, and chose to pass, which is considered a turning point for the team's seven-game loss to the Hawks.
After the game, coaches and teammates questioned, he felt emotionally hurt, so he applied for a trade, would rather be fined, rather than report to training camp..., after a temper tantrum for most of the season, finally swapped owners with Harden and was sent to the Nets.
In the new city, he only brought short-term hope, just witnessed Odu's journey to the west, the team disintegrated, the champion of course could not be counted on, and himself, not only did not become the boss, but became a marginal figure.
The Nets have plenty of reasons to abandon Simmons, in addition to the congenital technical flaws that make head coach Jacques Vaughn face the problem of "let him match the big worry room and let him match the small one with the little worry rebound", and on a mental level, it is difficult for him to provide positive energy for this future-focused team.
Simmons' talent is undoubted, but his willpower has been questioned since he was a student, and in the past two years, a series of labels such as "sensitive" and "vulnerable" have been firmly attached to his head. In the eyes of the world, his impression of "mom boy" and "playboy" has long overshadowed "defensive titan" and "fast attack master".
More than a year ago, Simmons could also be the main bargaining chip in trading Harden, and now, he has become a $78 million junk contract (for the next two years), a hot potato for the Nets.
James Harden's 23 points, 13 assists, and 20 points per game earned the 76ers a playoff opener and praise. Mikal Bridges failed to win the game, but scored 30+ on 12-of-18 shooting, proving that his efficient offensive performance in the regular season can stand the test of higher standards.
In a set of duels with obvious differences in strength and little suspense between victory and defeat, such an outcome seems to be acceptable to everyone.
However, there is one person who, on this night that should have been the center of attention, is almost forgotten.
This is obviously worse than criticism, questioning, and worse.