I get it. The mere sight of the name “Ben Simmons” is enough to make Sixers fans break into hives. Every time he pops up on the timeline, people start acting like they saw a ghost. Blocking, muting, screaming into pillows, lighting sage. I understand all of it.
But I also know what we do here at The Liberty Line. We bring the truth to the people, even when it feels like playing with fire.
It is late November. The NBA season is rolling and Ben Simmons is still unemployed.
There are actual rumblings that retirement might be on the table, per Stefan Bondy, and I refuse to accept that. Ben Simmons cannot retire before he completes the arc. Every story needs an ending and his ending cannot be “faded out on a boat somewhere.”
Speaking of boats, let’s talk about the moment all of this started.
Simmons posted a fishing pic on Instagram.
Yes. Ben Simmons, the same guy who once ghosted everyone in the organization, ignored phone calls, and removed himself from society like he was in witness protection, just liked a post implying he should return to the Sixers.
You cannot write a better script. Hollywood does not have this kind of storytelling.
So let’s talk about the part that scares people the most.
Why it might actually make sense
The Sixers are 9 and 8. They look like a team that could win 50 games or lose five straight depending on who sneezes the wrong way.
They have no power forward. They have no size behind Embiid and George. They have no real playmaker outside of Maxey. They have three rookies learning on the fly. And half the roster is taped together right now.
And sitting out there doing nothing is a 6 foot 10 point forward who once defended all five positions, ran the break better than almost anybody in the league, passed like a genius, and made transition defenses look like traffic cones.
Everyone rolls their eyes at this part. I know.
I can already hear the crowd warming up, but just give a minute and listen.
Ben Simmons on a cheap contract with something to prove is not the same man we saw unravel four years ago. The pressure is different now. The pecking order is different. He would not be asked to save the franchise. He would not be asked to shoot. He would not be asked to be someone he never was.
Nick Nurse has guards and wings everywhere. Edgecombe, McCain, Maxey, George. Plug Simmons into that mix and let him defend, rebound, push the ball, and move the offense instead of watching one guy dribble for 15 seconds.
You cannot tell me that version of Simmons would not help. You can be angry about the past and still admit that a healthy, motivated, humbled Ben Simmons fits a glaring need on this team.
Yes, it is wishful thinking. Yes, I know what happened against Atlanta. I blocked it out too. Yes, it could all collapse in five minutes.
This is the NBA, a league built entirely on chaos and redemption. Dwight Howard came back from outer space. Andrew Wiggins resurrected his entire career. Derrick Rose reinvented himself three different times.
There is a universe where Ben Simmons walks back into Philly, accepts a role, gets his confidence back, and becomes the weirdest, most unbelievable comeback story of this era.
If he is hinting at it, sign me up. I am already choosing hope. It is the season of giving, after all.
Tyrese Maxey got COOKED by a Border Collie at the National Dog Show >>
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