The NBA playoffs aren't even over yet, but the Ben Simmons trade saga is already in full swing. The Philadelphia 76ers point forward has been the subject of trade rumors virtually since the final buzzer sounded for his Sixers.
76ers coach Doc Rivers, who had previously expressed his uncertainty on Simmons' future in Philly, was caught giving a candid interview to TMZ Sports. He was asked about his thoughts on the Ben Simmons trade rumblings as well as if his shot or game was indeed fixable.
“Ben's great,” the Sixers coach said. “I want him back. He's terrific. He'll be great.”
“I think he doesn't need a lot of fixing. He's gonna be great for us. He'll be great.”
Doc Rivers' comments were interesting to say the least, but not exactly surprising. It's hard to imagine the Sixers coach giving anything but a positive take on Ben Simmons, regardless if it were his genuine belief or just a general facade to minimize any backlash or keep his trade value from dropping.
But it's hard to erase the soundbite of Rivers being unsure of his star with emotions running high after their Game 7 loss against the Hawks. The Sixers lost by seven in a game where Ben Simmons mustered just five points.
Doc Rivers answers a question whether Ben Simmons can be the point guard of a championship team pic.twitter.com/8xL35u98RC
— 🚁Sky Wob🚁 (@WorldWideWob) June 21, 2021
Despite the surprisingly cheery Doc Rivers from the video, it's hard to imagine that the Ben Simmons trade rumors will die down anytime soon. If Rivers truly thinks it's worth another shot to run it back with Big Ben and Joel Embiid one more time, then we'll have to see it to believe it.
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