Ben Simmons is a long way from being an All-Star.
Currently, the veteran guard is an NBA free agent, who is reportedly considering a season off—if not retirement.
A lot has transpired to get to this point, and it begs the question: What happened to Ben Simmons?
The longtime NBA veteran Patrick Beverley recently explained his views of the situation.
“Injuries and confidence,” Beverley said on the ‘Pat Bev Podcast.’
Is Philly to blame for the fall off of Ben Simmons? pic.twitter.com/w9DWg5SbCf
— Pat Bev Pod (@PatBevPod) September 11, 2025
“When Ben Simmons first came out it was LeBron James comparisons. He had so much hype and his demeanor was so chill that it was like you respected it more. His dunks made it—I wouldn’t say intimidating—but he made [players] second-think to jump or not. Then he got hurt, and like, he didn’t want to dunk anymore.”
While Simmons attended LSU, he was a five-star recruit from Australia who starred at Montverde Academy in Florida during his later high school years. Following one season at LSU, Simmons went first overall in 2016.
Not only was Simmons close with LeBron James, since they shared the same agent at the time, but many believed that Simmons was a consistent jump shot away from being LeBron 2.0. It’s safe to say Simmons did not live up to those expectations.
Beverley believes Simmons’ confidence took a hit due to injuries and the criticism that built up over time in Philadelphia. The former guard believes that Simmons might’ve had a better shot at exceeding expectations if he had gone to a smaller market.
“If he would’ve went to another team. And you know Philly fans, I [expletive] love Philly fans, but if you ain’t doing what you need to do for Philly, they’re going to let your [expletive] know in a heartbeat,” Beverley added.
“If he would’ve went to the [Charlotte Hornets] to start without all of the harsh backlash that he got from fans and media and all that, he probably would’ve had a three!”
Apr 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Ben Simmons (25) looks on during the first half against the Dallas Mavericks at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Ben Simmons’ lack of a three-point shot was never-ending, especially early on. Despite being a point guard, Simmons attempted just 36 threes throughout his seven-year career. The most he made in a season was three. His career-high in attempts was 11, during the 2018-2018 season.
Although Simmons didn’t pan out long-term, he still had a strong start to his career. The veteran guard was named an All-Star three times during his run with the Sixers. He was also the Rookie of the Year in 2018 and stood out on the defensive end of the floor.
While the hypotheticals don’t mean anything at this point, Beverley’s theory certainly does create a lot of curiosity about Simmons.
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