Ben Simmons was done with the Philadelphia 76ers by the time he made his decision to force a move away from the organization. A shock playoff defeat against the Atlanta Hawks saw Simmons targeted for his poor performance and his inability to shoot the ball, something that he took to heart. Simmons felt that he wasn't adequately supported by the franchise, and refused to play before eventually getting traded for James Harden. 

This situation earned him hate from not just the fans in Philadelphia, but from members of sports media and fans of other teams as well. Simmons was perceived to be running away from a situation instead of working to improve it according to some people, even though it had become a fairly toxic space for him. He has received support from a possibly unexpected source though, with Gilbert Arenas empathizing with Simmons on his 'No Chill' podcast

"I can understand where Ben Simmons is coming from. It wasn't the media saying he can't win, his own coach said "don't know" if they can win with him. Teammates know each other weaknesses they know Ben struggles with shooting and confidence issues. Putting him out there like that wasn't right."

Ben Simmons definitely could have handled the situation in Philadelphia better and some of the questions regarding his performances were valid, but Arenas has made a fairly decent point here. Public criticism of a superstar like Simmons is a fairly radical move and an understanding of the possibility that it won't be received well is something coaches and teams need to acknowledge. 

Having said that, Simmons still has a lot to prove to the NBA world now that he is part of the Brooklyn Nets. Although Steve Nash has explained that Ben is nowhere close to playing again at the moment, his return to the court whenever it happens will be heavily scrutinized and it will be up to Simmons to change the narrative surrounding him. 

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST
Thursday's NCAA men's tournament Sweet 16 takeaways: New faces going to the Elite Eight
Did breakup with J-Lo cost Alex Rodriguez the Timberwolves?
Draymond Green explains what happened with his latest ejection
Rob Manfred makes first public comments on MLB’s Shohei Ohtani investigation
Watch: Mike Trout hits first home run of 2024 MLB season off Corbin Burnes
Jets owner blasts report about alleged 'heated conversation' with HC Robert Saleh
Browns GM names player he wants to 'retain as long as possible'
UNC HC Mack Brown explains why ceiling for QB Drake Maye is 'so high'
Watch: Massive three-point swing helps No. 4 Alabama stun No. 1 North Carolina in Sweet 16
Watch: Diamondbacks set franchise record with 14-run inning
UConn continues historic run of dominance after rout of San Diego State
No. 2 Arizona beat themselves in Sweet 16 upset to No. 6 Clemson
Watch: Rangers' World Series banner unveiling leaves a lot to be desired
Watch: Kendall Diggs' three-run blast lifts Arkansas to victory over LSU
Watch: Juan Soto cuts down runner at plate to save game for Yankees
Royals' Cole Ragans sets franchise record in impressive Opening Day start
Guardians trade for two pitchers to round out Opening Day roster
Patrick Beverley's decision to play through his injury is a boost for Bucks
Corbin Burnes dominates in Orioles debut, significantly raises their ceiling
Watch: Base running error spoils Shohei Ohtani's first home Dodgers at-bat

Want more Nets news?

Join the hundreds of thousands of fans who start their day with Yardbarker's Morning Bark, the best newsletter in sports.