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LA Lakers legend Magic Johnson appeared on the KJZ show on ESPN to give his opinion on the Philadelphia 76ers' Game 7 loss and specifically Ben Simmons. The Sixers point guard has left fans angry and disappointed with his performances in the Eastern Conference Semifinals series against the Atlanta Hawks.
Ben Simmons' defense was questionable and his offense was downright absent. He was visibly afraid to hold the ball because he might get fouled and sent to the charity stripe, where his struggles are painfully apparent. He became more passive than one would like and attempted just five field goals in four consecutive second halves.
Magic Johnson is arguably the greatest point guard in NBA history. Almost every analyst agrees with Johnson's greatness and what he did for the sport of basketball. Magic giving his opinion on Ben Simmons speaks volumes and as soft-spoken as he is, even he couldn't help but criticize the Australian-born point guard.
"Ben...It's time for a change because he can't recover from this. The locker room won't recover from it. And so when they went to the 'Hack-a-Shaq', basically 'Hack-a-Simmons', that just killed him."
Magic went on to further break down the game and what ultimately caused this upset, saying,
They gave away Game 5. First of all, you close that game out [and] we wouldn't be talking about Ben Simmons. All summer long they're going to point back to Game 5....You get to Game 5 and they started at the end, fouling Simmons and that just took him right out. Look at Game 6, he act like he wasn't into Game 6 and that carried over to Game 7.
But the focus was on Ben Simmons being out of Philadelphia. Magic reiterated saying,
"Yeah, he's got to be somewhere else. The locker room and the fans [is over with, people can't trust him]. It's over. It's over. You can't recover from this"
Was Magic Johnson's condemnation justified?
As mentioned earlier, Magic Johnson is arguably the best point guard ever. So his analysis and breakdown of the game is far more valuable than any analyst you'll find. That being said, it clearly isn't a knee-jerk reaction to Ben Simmons' game. The NBA has been waiting for a decent jump shot from Simmons for over three years now. He has not shown any dedication or heart to work on his game and even his former coach Brett Brown publicly said he "gives up" on Ben Simmons.
Simmons' scouting report before the 2018 NBA Draft said he has not shown a passion for the game. The Australian has lacked a desire to improve and it looks like he is more focused on the fame and glamor side of being an NBA star. Surprisingly, his averages have remained constant since his rookie season. An NBA players' numbers almost always increase after their rookie year, but Simmons' has not. It is staggering as to how comfortable he is staying the same.
Although he is more of a defensive player and playmaker, Young averaged 29 points in his series. Simmons was the primary defender for a majority of the possessions. Simmons' lack of confidence affected his game on both ends of the floor and he couldn't make plays when he was visibly afraid to hold the ball.
Did Ben Simmons play his last game in Philadelphia?
Ben Simmons has apparently played his last game as a Philadelphia 76ers player. Not only is he getting scoffed at by the fans and the media, but even his teammates and coach have not had his back.
Simmons passed up an open layup/dunk and the fans erupted with anger and dissatisfaction. He passed the ball to Matisse Thybulle who then got fouled and made one of his two free throws. Joel Embiid was visibly frustrated with his co-star for not playing his best while he himself was playing through an injury trying to get it done.
Joel Embiid spoke after the game and was asked what moment tipped the scales in the Atlanta Hawks' favor. He said:
"I'll be honest - I don't know how to say it - but I thought the turning point was we had an open shot, we missed and we made one free throw."
That was clearly a shot at Ben Simmons who was the player in question regarding the open dunk/layup.
Even his current coach Doc Rivers was asked if Ben Simmons could be a point guard on a championship team and Rivers responded by saying
"Yeah...I don't know that question or the answer to that right now"
It is becoming quite clear that Ben Simmons has lost all trust of the Philadelphia 76ers fanbase. One shouldn't be surprised when trade rumors start to show up with his name included in the package.
Hence, to conclude, Magic Johnson is clearly justified in criticizing Ben Simmons and it wasn't a knee-jerk reaction.
Also Read: Ben Simmons to Portland Trail Blazers: A boom or bust trade for both parties?
Guess the Lakers players!
