What's next for Ben Simmons after finally reporting to the Philadelphia 76ers?

The Philadelphia 76ers and Ben Simmons are closer now than they have been since June - in proximity. Ben Simmons randomly showed up in Philadelphia and Elton Brand received a text saying Ben Simmons was outside the Wells Fargo Center on April 11th. Ben Simmons was ready to take a covid test, and a physical, as the Philadelphia 76ers played the Brooklyn Nets inside the arena. Startling development to say the least, and even with his return to the team cosmetically, will he organically be a part of the team?

The Philadelphia 76ers have nixed trades and have been turned down themselves in potential deals involving the 25 year old Ben Simmons: a three-time NBA All-Star, former NBA Rookie of the Year and two-time All NBA defender who has made an All-NBA team. Accolades aside, what's the next step for Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers?

What are the Philadelphia 76ers pros with Ben Simmons on the team?

Besides the accolades, for the Philadelphia 76ers, what Ben Simmons does on the floor is unique in that he's a 6'10" point guard with tremendous athleticism. Superior physical skills, coupled with excellent ball handling, make Ben Simmons a challenge to defend in transition. It really is immaterial who is defending, if Ben Simmons is running downhill, somebody's favorite player is about to get dunked on - when he wants to dunk the basketball that is.

The 25 year old Ben Simmons had a +/- of +329 last season and a +892 for his Philadelphia 76ers career. That is a telling number, and also telling is that the Philadelphia 76ers finished at the top of the Eastern Conference at 49-23, and Ben Simmons was the primary ball handler. Ben Simmons was also the Philadelphia 76ers best defender and finishing second in the NBA in team defensive rating, the Philadelphia 76ers front office understands the value of Ben Simmons. The Philadelphia 76ers have three excellent defenders in Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid and Matisse Thybulle.

Trading Ben Simmons would subtract both a perimeter and interior defender and force Doc Rivers to play the aforementioned Thybulle in increased minutes. Joel Embiid would also be more pressured to defend higher on the floor, and if Ben Simmons is traded and the Philadelphia 76ers don't receive a defender in return, how are they to stop the Brooklyn Nets? Ben Simmons can disrupt a team in a similar fashion to what Scottie Pippen did with the 6-time champion Chicago Bulls with his 7 foot wingspan.

Ben Simmons is needed to defeat the Brooklyn Nets because he can defend 1-5. Of course he won't stop James Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving (if he plays), yet in spots he can definitively slow each superstar with his aggresive style of defense. He's also a great passer, an above-average rebounder who will block a smaller guard at the top of the key and deflect opposition passes. His defense is currently his strongest attribute, and in the Eastern Conference, defense is a must.

What are the Ben Simmons' cons?

For starters, Ben Simmons walking away from his teammates without addressing them is a major red flag. Yes, Ben Simmons is 25, and yes he is Australian and pretty much not subjected to codes of Americans regarding how we view pro sports, yet not doing so is completely disrespectful for any reason. His shooting woes are well documented from the arc as well as the free throw line, and he's subjected to hack-a-Ben in the fourth quarter because of his career freethrow average of .597. That's horrible for a point guard, and when Ben Simmons sits as Doc Rivers switches him out for a better free throw shooter, the Philadelphia 76ers lose a big part of their fluidity, and the pace of the game is modified.

Adversity

Sometimes in life, when going through challenging times, the psyche is strengthened if looking at a situation with hopeful eyes and mind as those challenging times pass. Ben Simmons has been the main topic of discussion in American sports since June, and that is just now changing with Kyrie Irving's vaccination stance and what's now going on in the NFL with John Gruden and the Washington Football team. That would wear on anyone's mind - let alone a young NBA superstar with a million social media followers. Is the constant criticizing, name-calling and dismissive talk of his talent so loud that Ben Simmons has to turn off his phone?

Philadelphia is unique, and if he wants to play here (which he's said all along he does not) he must take what the fans give him and thicken his skin. Adversity also has a penchant for destroying confidence, character and any reason to be social within such turmoil. Ben Simmons has to deal with the Philadephia 76ers fans, and what will be evident is the Philadelphia 76ers fans will not let up on Ben Simmons until he proves to them that he will give the effort necessary to win basketball games. The Philadelphia 76ers haven't been to the NBA Finals in 21 years since Allen Iverson willed Larry Brown's team into a Finals loss vs. Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Julius Erving, Mo Cheeks, Bobby Jones, Andrew Toney, and the late Moses Malone last won the Philadelphia 76ers an NBA title in 1983. That was a long time ago, and Ben Simmons must know that because of that decades-long ineptitude -- which drives fan frustration - Ben Simmons will be excoriated whenever fans know he is close.

The get back

The best-case scenario for the Philadelphia 76ers is if Ben Simmons comes in, performs as usual, endears himself to the fans and is completely contrite. While no one sees that happening, what can change the fans' opinion of Ben Simmons is if the Philadelphia 76ers win and win big. If Philly wins games vs. the elite of the Eastern Conference, Philadelphia 76ers fans will open their arms to Ben Simmons and all will be forgotten. Klutch Sports must acknowledge that as well. Ben Simmons doing so creates a hero in Philly, and what if the Philadelphia 76ers win an NBA championship? Ben Simmons will be a god with Philadelphia 76ers fans - along with the already knighted Joel Embiid.

Maturity

Fans should not be entitled, yet in Philadelphia, they're so entitled to boo the young Eagles on Monday Night Football despite losing valiantly to the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28-22 at home. It's a totally different sport, yet the same Philadelphia fan reaction. Look, it is what it is, and fans see the game differently than the players and media, so their behavior - while never absolving fans of their indescretions - is understood. Ben Simmons has reportedly expressed a desire to play in Southern California - where he has a home - yet if he is to continue to play here, there's no getting around to what he has to do mentally to work in Philly for the next eight years or so. If he's thinking about bricking free throws, doesn't shoot from the outside when necessary, and passes up open dunks?

Don't come back.