Ah, Ben Simmons. What to do with you?
Well, if you ask his coach Doc Rivers, he's already pretty sure of the next steps to take with the struggling Philadelphia 76ers star. And it looks like Simmons won't be going anywhere. At least for now.
While Simmons' performance in their series against the Atlanta Hawks was as impressive as a stick drawing, Rivers remains stubbornly optimistic (via NBC Sports Philadelphia).
“I know exactly what we want to do. I’m positive in Ben. I’m very bullish on Ben still, but there’s work. There is. And Ben will be willing to do it, and that’s the key. Sometimes you have to go through stuff to see it and be honest with it. Obviously what Ben just went through, I can’t imagine that, because he has so much greatness around him in all the things that he does.”
The 24-year-old Simmons was simply terrible against the Hawks, failing to even attempt a single shot in the fourth quarter in their last three games. His shooting woes have been highly documented and ridiculed, but Rivers feels his prized playmaker can still fix his problems.
“And there are areas that he can fix quickly, in my opinion, and get better, and that will get him to another level. Sometimes you don’t know why you’re in different places. You know what I mean? But this may be one of them. I look at this as a great challenge, but definitely a doable one.”
While Ben Simmons has been heavily crucified by fans, it's clear Doc Rivers still has his back. For a struggling player, sometimes, a coach's validation is all he needs.
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