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Earlier than NBA famous person James Harden ever even requested a commerce from the Houston Rockets, the Philadelphia 76ers have been already linked to the veteran guard. As former Rockets GM Daryl Morey turned the Sixers’ President of Basketball Operations, many have been underneath the assumption he was going to try to get his favourite participant to come back with him.
Properly, these beliefs weren’t unsuitable. Finally, Harden did request a commerce, and issues bought ugly in Houston. Because the Rockets realized they could not transfer ahead with Harden on the workforce, they seemed to accommodate his requests of sending him to the Sixers or the Brooklyn Nets.
For some time, it appeared the 76ers have been truly going to half methods with Ben Simmons so they may encompass their MVP candidate Joel Embiid with a famous person shooter, however Houston finally selected a multi-team commerce, the place they despatched Harden to Brooklyn.
It did not occur rapidly, although. For weeks, Simmons noticed his identify linked to commerce rumors involving Harden. Sixers head coach Doc Rivers claimed that Simmons dealt with all of it nicely. And the fourth-year guard himself stated that he was doing all he might to dam all the rumors out.
“I are available in each day, take it at some point at a time, able to work,” Simmons said in December. “I am with my teammates each day I get up; each time I bought a Sixers uniform on, I am representing the Sixers. My mentality by no means modifications. I am right here to win a championship. That objective is rarely going to vary. I do know issues are at all times gonna be stated within the media with rumors and issues like that, however my objective is to come back in each day, get higher, and assist the workforce that I am on win championship.”
Whereas the rumors have been spreading like wildfire, Simmons was off to a shaky begin to the yr. Regardless that he would not admit the skin chatter did not have an effect on him, Sixers veteran ahead Tobias Harris admitted that he might “really feel that form of stress” on Simmons because the rumors have been fixed. Due to this fact, he had a chat with him, and since then, Harris believes every thing that went down fueled Simmons.
“I had conversations with Ben, too. I used to be like, ‘The one manner you grow to be untrade-able, just about, is for those who win a championship.’ If you happen to win a championship, no person is breaking up (that) workforce. You’ll add items to the workforce, however you’re not breaking apart the core items. That was one of many issues (he talked with Simmons about). I feel it was form of motivating (for him). I’ve at all times been motivated by it generally, however I feel it was motivating for someone like him as a result of I feel that was the primary time he truly actually heard his identify on the market in these rumors, proper? To that extent.”
h/t to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Simmons has seemed like a a lot better participant on the ground with the Harden-Simmons commerce rumors formally within the rearview. Earlier than the commerce went down, Simmons was averaging simply 12 points-per-game on the offensive finish by way of 11 video games, which was a career-low for him.
Within the following 15 video games because the commerce between Houston and Brooklyn was finalized, Simmons has accounted for 18 points-per-game and stays probably the greatest defenders in the whole league.
Final week, Simmons admitted that he wanted to work on his mentality so he might play extra aggressively and confidently on the offensive finish. Now that the commerce rumors have disappeared, it appears Harris is true. Ben Simmons is extra motivated than ever to win, and he is proven that lots currently.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports activities Illustrated. You possibly can comply with him on Twitter: @JGrasso_
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