Doc Rivers called Sixers meeting with Ben Simmons a positive for them
The Philadelphia 76ers have maintained that they would like to have Ben Simmons with the team and have him playing with them moving forward. On Friday, it seems as if both sides took a step toward that happening.
During the team’s morning shootaround, Simmons met with the team and he appeared to clear the air a bit after an offseason of discontent with trade rumors and then an official trade request. He then suddenly returned to the team and he has been both mentally and physically disengaged a bit.
After meeting with the team, Simmons has expressed his desire to return and that he is seeking help to get himself mentally right again. All of that is a positive for coach Doc Rivers.
“I felt good up and down throughout and I kept saying that, things do change,” said Rivers. “That still doesn’t mean it’s gonna work out perfect or it could, but I always believed that. I’ve never wavered from that. I’ve said that 100 times and I still stick with it.”
Obviously, this does not mean that Simmons’ return to the Sixers is imminent, but this is a positive step in the right direction. It does mean that there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel a bit for Philadelphia.
“It was a productive day, but it’s a start,” Rivers continued. “That’s the only way you can get going, you gotta start, and today was a start.”
At the end of the day, the Sixers want Simmons suited up in their uniform and helping them win games until they can find a trade partner for him and the right value for Philadelphia in return. He is a part of the roster and Rivers wants him with the team moving forward.
“He is part of the team,” he stated. “We have certain rules, obviously, the other day, that didn’t happen, but today was a good day. Most people, we look at problems instead of the possibilities and I think if we focus on the possibilities, just in life in general, you have a pretty good chance of going to a good place. If you focus on the problems, you’re probably gonna continue to have problems.”
One might think that the Sixers might have a limit on how long they can wait for Simmons. Kind of like the Brooklyn Nets and their situation with Kyrie Irving. Now, that is totally different, but the Nets did reach their limit and they made a decision not to have him with the team so they can move forward. Maybe the Sixers might have to do the same for Simmons.
“I don’t wanna look out, I can only look now,” Rivers finished. “That situation is so different than this situation.”
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
List
Philadelphia 76ers all-time roster: See which legends made the cut
