Ben Simmons is back in Philadelphia, but he doesn’t seem very happy about it.
The 76ers announced Tuesday that Simmons, who ended his resistance last week with a surprise return to the Wells Fargo Center, has been suspended for one game due to “team detrimental conduct” and will not play in the regular season opener. Philadelphia vs. New Orleans. Sixers coach Doc Rivers described Simmons as a “distraction” at practice Tuesday.
Doc Rivers says he felt Ben Simmons was a distraction today: “I didn’t think he wanted to do what everyone else was doing.”
Rivers says he will give Simmons every opportunity to join the team, but he has to protect him.
– Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) October 19, 2021
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What led to Simmons’ suspension? Here’s everything we know about the latest drama between the 76ers and their three-time All-Star.
Why did the 76ers suspend Ben Simmons?
Rivers expelled Simmons from practice due to a “refusal to participate in the next stage of the session.” according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who noticed that Simmons has not consistently engaged since his return to the team. Shams Charania of Athletic reported that Rivers asked Simmons to join a defensive drill multiple times, but Simmons declined to participate.
Even before he rejoined the team for practice, Simmons had been “doing the moves” during individual practice. according to Kyle Neubeck of Philly Voice.
How long will Ben Simmons be out?
Here is the official statement from Philadelphia on Simmons’ suspension:
“Ben Simmons has been suspended for one game due to conduct detrimental to the team. As a result, Simmons will miss the 76ers’ first game in New Orleans tomorrow night.”
When asked if he expects the Simmons situation to be a persistent problem, Rivers told reporters that he will give Simmons an opportunity “every day” to be part of the team.
How did the 76ers react to Ben Simmons’ behavior?
Doc Rivers
“At the end of the day, as a coach, I have to protect the team. The team first, and then we get to the other side. So, today, I thought it was more important to focus on the team.”
Joel embiid
“At this point, I don’t care about that man, honestly. He does what he wants. That’s not my job. That’s the job of those guys. I’m just focused on trying to improve the team, win some games, play hard all of them. the nights, trying to lead the guys that we have here. And I’m sure they feel the same because our chemistry has been great despite everything that’s been going on in the last few months. So yeah, like I said, I really do not care “.
“At the end of the day, our job is not to take care of someone. We are here. We get paid to produce on the pitch, go out, play hard, win some games. That’s all we get paid for. They don’t pay me to come here and trying to take care of someone. That’s not our job, and I’m sure my teammates feel that way. “
76ers calendar 2021-22
Here are the 76ers’ first 10 games of the 2021-22 regular season:
Date | Adversary | Time (ET) | National Television |
October 20 | in Pelicans | 8 p. M. | – |
October 22 | against networks | 7:30 pm | ESPN |
October 24th | in Thunder | 7 pm | – |
October 26th | in the Knicks | 7:30 pm | TNT |
October 28 | against pistons | 7 pm | NBA TV |
30th of October | against hawks | 7:30 pm | NBA TV |
November 1st | against the Trail Blazers | 7 pm | – |
November 3 | against bulls | 7 pm | – |
November 4th | in Pistons | 7 pm | – |
November 6th | in Bulls | 8 p. M. | – |
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.