Gene Therapy: NBA - Is Philly Special?
by Gene Clemons
Ben Simmons and James Harden finally got what they were looking for and in doing so they have possibly changed the entire landscape of the NBA's Eastern Conference. While New Jersey will definitely miss what Harden brings to the table as a scorer and a facilitator, removing him from the lineup and inserting players secure in their roles, and willing to do some of the dirty work offensively and defensively that Harden was not committed to, can actually improve the team. Adding to that intrigue is the opportunity for Kyrie Irving to return to the team full time with New York relaxing their restrictions. For Philadelphia it is simple. They will actually get a player willing to play. While getting rid of a player who has been a tremendous distraction to their team since the end of their 20-21 season.
If Simmons can return to the court and become the player he was with Philly, he is a plus defender and elite athlete who could be a slasher in an offense that would not require him to play the point or dominate the ball. He also provides them with another ball handler who can facilitate with a second unit. The Nets also received help in the form of sharpshooter Seth Curry, who can provide even more off-the-ball scoring power or to compliment the on-ball offensive prowess of the team.
My problem with Philly
Although the "trust the process" days are over for the sixers, the stigma behind what they did still permeates the halls and affects everything. What they created was a culture of losing with zero accountability. The thought that you could purposely lose your way to a winning team is a flawed logic. While you may end up drafting valuable pieces, if you never teach them the value of winning, how do you expect them to build and sustain a winning culture? The process stunted Joel Embiid's progress as he spent too much time on the sideline and not enough on the court becoming the leader, and dominant force that we see today. Now he's spent the last few years figuring out the dedication necessary to be a champion. That's something Ben Simmons never learned (we'll put a pin in that).
In steps James Harden who, because of his immense skill, has been able to skate by without absorbing full responsibility for his postseason shortcomings. Harden has never been the model of health and fitness (similar to Embiid) and when the lights were brightest, he seemed to shrink. But more damming is when it was time to collect responsibility, he's looked for the out and now for the second time in his career he purposely sabotaged his current team to force a trade to what he believes is a better option. That type of behavior doesn't scream champion, but this is what we sew being sold as legitimate championship contenders. Two supremely talented stars who have never won anything with a history of fitness issues and a track record of unavailability or coming up small in big moments.
My Problem With Brooklyn
This issue with Brooklyn is simple. They can't be relying on Ben Simmons, right? There's nothing about the Ben Simmons situation that would make me feel good about putting him on the court. I have long suspected Simmons was fool's gold. Choosing to go to LSU over all the major players who understand what the one and done life is all about, felt like he was afraid of the pressure that would come with attending one of those marquee universities where basketball is king.
The second red flag came with his disinterested game at LSU and inability to elevate that program to a tournament level. Then there was his rookie season. While most believe that Simmons misses his first season due to injury, the truth is that he was capable of coming back but he (armed with the blessing of an organization dedicated to losing on purpose) decided that making a couple million dollars by sitting out and waiting until next season to play and possibly win rookie of the year was worth more than playing the second half of the season and gaining valuable experience.
Finally, after last season, where he was upset over receiving deserved criticism, he wanted out. He refused to show up for work this NBA season and when the Sixers began to fine him, he announced that he was dealing with mental health issues. The issue was that with Philly, Simmons was not expected to play this season but magically when he's traded to Brooklyn now, he's preparing to return. Did a trade really solve his mental health issues or is it fair to wonder if he ever really had issues. That's the type of element that Brooklyn is welcoming in.
Instant rivalry
At the very least, this immediately becomes the best current rivalry in the NBA. Not since the Pierce/Garnett Celtics were bumping up against the Heatles'' has the Eastern Conference been so spicy. KD and Kyrie will definitely be looking to cook Harden when they match up and of course Harden will look to show them what they are missing. Of course, Embiid will jump into whatever beef as he is the biggest troll in the NBA and maybe, just maybe Ben Simmons will stand up and show the type of fire that could make him a legit factor in a series.
As of now, the Sixers are the new Belle of the ball. Harden has come out doing all the things that make you fall in love with his talent and if you listen to Embiid, life has never been better, and the game has never been easier. We've seen this honeymoon phase before. The question is, will this marriage last or will the Wandering eye of Harden and his unwillingness to work on his flaws rear their head once again?
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Gene Clemons is a Sports Analyst and Contributor to CWN Sports. His weekly column and podcast - Gene Therapy focuses on Sports, Politics and Social/Urban issues.
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