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On today’s very special episode of The Gastroenteritis Blues, Steve and Dan (Emily sadly was absent) are joined by The Athletic Senior NBA writer Sam Amick. Sam is known nationally for his excellent reporting, but around these parts, we’ve been glued to his reporting for months on the particulars of the holdout between Ben Simmons and Sixers.
Back in September, Sam reported that Simmons thought his time playing with Joel Embiid had “run its course.” Embiid, when asked the next day about the report, spoke at length about how he felt that the rosters he’d shared with Simmons had always, actually, been built around Ben’s needs, citing signing Al Horford and letting go of Jimmy Butler, in the process. On the podcast today, we asked Sam about the status of the relationship between Simmons and Embiid, as Simmons continues to get out of Philadelphia.
“I don’t think there really is one [a relationship between Simmons and Embiid] right now”
With Sam, we discuss the entire Simmons situation, from how we got to this point, to which reports we should be believing in the media, to where things are likely to go from here. Sam also tells us why the Sixers’ wish for the past few months (to get Simmons onto the court) is unlikely to come true anytime soon.
“He’s not getting on the floor anytime soon. They just reminded [the Sixers] that they want a trade.”
And what about the blustery reports within Sam’s article and many others stating that Daryl Morey is ready and willing to keep Ben Simmons on the roster for years, if he must, if he cannot trade Ben for a star he deems commensurate with his value? Is this merely a leverage ploy?
“I don’t know if I’d describe it as leverage. I think it’s just fondly reflecting [on] the Sixers’ reality. My reporting would indicate that it is genuine.”
All that and more is here in this week’s episode of The Gastroenteritis Blues!
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