Friday morning Ben Simmons met with members of the Sixers’ organization, and while he stated he wants to play, he also says he’s not mentally ready.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Simmons spoke to both Doc Rivers and his teammates as everyone attempted to clear the air.
The organization and Simmons agreed that everyone needs to take responsibility for the recent drama that has plagued this team. With that being said, Simmons also stated that he’s not mentally prepared to play in games, and he will need time until he’s ready to fully rejoin the team.
While this latest development doesn’t make things any easier for Sixers fans, patience is important now more than ever. It may not seem like it, but this is a positive development.
Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid speaking, first of all, is a huge, possibly even the most important factor here. Getting these two players back on the same page may not be entirely possible, but if the Sixers can broker anything close to that, they should, as it’s absolutely in the best interest of the team.
Second, Simmons “clearing the air” with Doc Rivers is crucial to any type of healing. In public, Rivers had big Simmons’ biggest supporter up to Game 7. After that, Rivers has really been inconsistent at best in his support and, through leaks, has been shown to be confrontational in certain situations.
Fans and certainly the team may be hesitant to give Simmons time, but at this point, it’s the most logical strategy. Even more important than that, it’s the human thing to do.
