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Everybody has been trying to figure out what's up with Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons and why he not only hasn't improved his game but seemed to regress offensively in these playoffs. Simmons himself admitted he was in his own head, and Sixers teammate Danny Green recently offered up a lengthy explanation for what's going on there on his Inside The Green Room podcast.
Green essentially said Simmons needs to be pushed hard to try something new, otherwise he's not willing to take the risk of doing it and failing. This is pretty interesting stuff from a longtime veteran of the NBA who has won championships and seen it all:
Danny Green on Ben Simmons:
“You can tell Ben’s the type of kid if he’s not encouraged, if he’s not pushed or forced to do it, he’s not the type to take that risk.” pic.twitter.com/5hx38nbVpB— Jack Connell (@JackPConnell) June 27, 2021
Danny Green offers up harsh truths here. You could certainly take this as a nice, lengthy way of saying Ben Simmons gets too scared to fail and isn't willing to try new things. But this kind of feedback is necessary if Simmons is going to improve. The youngster clearly has a stubborn streak when it comes to his shooting, and there did seem to be a fear of getting fouled thanks to his atrocious free-throw shooting.
One has to think teammates and coaches have pushed Simmons to improve these other aspects of the game, but perhaps they haven't done it enough. Former Sixers coach Brett Brown challenged him publicly in the past, but Doc Rivers didn't do that as much until the very end of the season.
Ben Simmons needs to take this feedback and criticism to heart. Even if he's not with the Sixers next season, he won't reach his full potential wherever he is if he doesn't change his mindset.