The Ben Simmons saga: 5 NBA teams in the East who can take advantage of the situation at Philadelphia 76ers

As the Ben Simmons saga gets crazier and crazier by the day, some teams in the Eastern Conference will be a little happier about the situation. Last season, the Philadelphia 76ers sat on top of the Eastern Conference led by their two All-Stars, All-NBA, and All-Defense players in Simmons and Joel Embiid.

Over the last four seasons, Simmons has been one of the driving forces on the 76ers roster, leading to multiple playoff runs. His defense and playmaking ability is what has made him a star in the NBA, but his shooting is what has let him down. Last season in the playoffs, he passed on multiple layups, which he was then criticized for.

Those passed-up layups have led us to this moment. Ben Simmons has requested a trade and has already been suspended for one game by the 76ers. Simmons missing playing time or being traded altogether could harm the 76ers but positively affect Eastern Conference rivals.

With that said, here are five teams in the Eastern Conference that can capitalize on the situation in the Sixers' camp.

#5 Ben Simmons saga effect on the Brooklyn Nets season

Brooklyn Nets All-Star Kyrie Irving #11 gaurded by Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Ben Simmons

The Brooklyn Nets are doing everything they can to win an NBA Finals this season, and the Simmons saga helps them out in multiple ways.

First, the 76ers with Simmons is a clear contender, despite the playoff struggles. Simmons is still an excellent player, and when he is right, the 76ers have the best record in the Eastern Conference. The 76ers could push the Nets down the standings, possibly making it, so they don’t have a home game in the second round of the playoffs.

Second, if the Nets meet the 76ers in the playoffs with Simmons, the Nets could struggle with the 76ers size for a seven-game series. The Nets do not want to battle it out in the trenches with you. They more so want to dazzle you with effortless efficiency. The Milwaukee Bucks could muddy up the series against the Nets last season, leading to a Bucks series win.

Finally, every day that passes that has the media eye on the 76ers and Simmons is when the Nets and All-Star Kyrie Irving COVID-19 situation comes up. The Nets team has been vocal about the Irving situation not being a distraction, but it is a lot harder when it is discussed every day in the mainstream media. At least with the Simmons news breaking every so often, it relieves Nets players from hearing about Irving.

#4 Ben Simmons saga effect on the Chicago Bulls

Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Ben Simmons #25 playing against the Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls had a massive offseason, bringing in three new critical pieces in Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso. That is already paired with their two All-Stars on Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. Having playoff success is a necessity for the team this season.

Zach LaVine has yet to sign a contract extension with the Bulls, and after this season, if he doesn’t, he will become an unrestricted free agent. The Bulls cannot let that happen as LaVine has become one of the better scorers in the NBA. On top of that, the Bulls just spent a lot of money on players who should help the team win.

The saga with the 76ers and Simmons might not open a playoff spot, but it does make a former championship contender weaker. The Bulls should be able to make it into the playoffs this season, and if they have to face off against the 76ers, they have the talent to beat them.

#3 Ben Simmons saga effect on the Washington Wizards

Philadelphia 76ers, Ben Simmons #25 taking a layup over the Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards lost in the first round of the playoffs to the 76ers and Ben Simmons last season. Simmons had a good series against the Wizard, averaging 14.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 9.2 assists in the five-game series.

Last season, even if the 76ers didn’t have Simmons, the 76ers might have still won, but the Wizards have a better-organized team with more depth this season. With that, the Wizards could once again be a play-in team that wins the games. They would then be a low-seed playoff team and might not face the 76ers.

However, the Wizards will be a quality team this year, and they could gain some quality regular-season victories against the Simmons-less 76ers team. Those wins could validate how they are playing as they could become a playoff team.

#2 Ben Simmons saga effect on the Miami Heat

Philadelphia 76ers, Ben Simmons #25 on defense against the Miami Heat

The Miami Heat are looking for revenge, and not really against the 76ers, but the Eastern Conference. The 76ers could be caught in the crossfire. The Heat added Kyle Lowrey to the roster, which is an immediate upgrade on the team.

The Heat will be one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference this season, and they might use the Simmons-less 76ers as a steppingstone. The Heat will likely not be the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but if the 76ers slump a little in the regular season, they could be battling it out late in the season.

With Ben Simmons, the 76ers have an overall better roster than the Heat, but it becomes a lot more even when you take Simmons out. This could lead to a great battle in the playoff standings between the two, as they can both be final contenders but still be a tier below the Bucks and the Nets. This could eventually lead to an exciting playing matchup between the 76ers and Heat, as Heat star Jimmy Butler was not offered a contract after his season with the 76ers.

#1 Ben Simmons saga effect on the Atlanta Hawks

Philadelphia 76ers, Ben Simmons #25 taking a layup against the Atlanta Hawks

If Ben Simmons never plays for the 76ers again or is eventually traded, the Atlanta Hawks can say they did that. The Hawks' seven-game series last season with the 76ers is the series that broke the camel’s back for the 76ers organization, coaching staff, fans, and Simmons himself. Because the Hawks are kind of the ignition to this fire, they can use this as fuel for their season.

The Hawks already see themselves as underdogs and as if they are not at the same level as other Eastern Conference contenders, and they might not be. However, they beat the 76ers with Simmons and made it to Game 6 with the eventual NBA Champion Bucks.

This gives a massive chip on the shoulder of the Hawks, and when the leader of your team is Trae Young, who always plays with a chip on his shoulder, it can’t get better. The Hawks will use last season’s playoff success to drive them this season and push themselves to a higher playoff seed. Maybe they even surface the 76ers while they do so.