Former 76ers star Ben Simmons got a new leash in life this summer, as he got the Sacramento Kings to sign him to a one-year deal. He will have to first prove himself in training camp as his contract is non-guaranteed for next season, but this is a huge step for his comeback bid in the league. Heck, some are expecting huge things from him in his return, with Richard Jefferson even saying that he could make the All-Star team next season.
Yeah, the guy who is coming off a sabbatical that lasted for an entire season, is a massive injury risk, has a history of quitting on himself and his team, and is not even on a guaranteed contract could snag an All-Star berth in the jam-packed Western Conference. That is what Jefferson is claiming, everyone. It might be high time for someone to get him to the psychiatric ward with this outrageous take.
76ers fans will laugh very hard at this latest Ben Simmons take
To be fair, if there is one team where someone like Simmons can basically have the liberty to be himself again, it is Sacramento. The Kings have basically no shot at making the playoffs next season, and with a youth movement already on the verge of going full throttle, Simmons could have a lesser margin of error on the hardwood.
Be that as it may, it is extremely difficult to even think about subscribing to Jefferson’s take. He primarily anchors his bold claim on Simmons’ ability to be an all-encompassing defensive force, but even if that comes true, there is simply no way that he can even come close to sniffing an All-Star nod.
The Kings will probably not even have him as a top priority next season. The team had just drafted Darius Acuff Jr. this offseason, and he will be expected to man the point guard position moving forward. That means that Simmons will most likely be a second-stringer, which is already a death knell to Jefferson’s All-Star prediction.
Anyway, Simmons probably has his sights set on regaining his footing back in the league. Making the All-Star team is way too unrealistic, but it is unlikely to even be occupying his headspace at this juncture. He has bigger fish to fry than reaching for the stars in his comeback campaign, and the best thing he can do for his career now is to show teams that he can still make an impact without needing to be highly maintained.
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