‘Would’ve Knocked His A** Out’: Shaquille O’Neal Roasts Ben Simmons After Disappointing Playoff Run

The Philadelphia 76ers’ season came to a disappointing end as the Atlanta Hawks turned the tables around to win the Conference Semifinals. Now, the 76ers will spend their offseason figuring out what went wrong for them or who didn’t show up. And if there is anyone who lands in their dump list, it could be Ben Simmons.

Simmons has been an offensive liability for Philly. He has been called out by fans and analysts alike for his below-average performances in the postseason. In fact, the legendary Shaquille O’Neal has been the most vocal about his opinions on Simmons. Not only did he challenge Ben to man up before Game 7 but also had some harsh comments after it.

What went wrong with Ben Simmons?

It is safe to say that Ben Simmons has not done justice to his resume that also includes three straight All-Star selections. The only thing we can’t deny is that he has improved on the defensive end. However, he is still answerable for not being productive on the offense and not upgrading his shooting.

In fact, his free throw shooting has become even worse than before. Teams knew that if they wanted to make their fourth-quarter count, they could foul Simmons, who would definitely tank his shots. Now, the player who was brought in to be Joel Embiid‘s right-hand man and get them a championship has now possibly risked any future with the Sixers.

And much like Philly fans, Ben is responsible for making Shaquille O’Neal‘s blood boil. And those who know Shaq or have heard his stories, like Kenny Smith, know that this can’t be any good. After Game 7, Shaq stated on ‘Inside the NBA’, “If he was in my locker room I would’ve knocked his ass out.”

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Does Simmons have a future with the Philadelphia 76ers?

For a player like Simmons to be unplayable down the stretch is an eye-opener in itself. It is also hard to imagine that the 76ers let a late first-round pick rookie play over their superstar who was drafted as the first overall pick in 2016.

Unfortunately, this season could cost Simmons his career. Teams will not be willing to bet on a player that they can’t count on down the stretch.

When asked if he would be willing to adjust to a position change, Ben said, “I gotta do what I gotta do and work on my game to get better. That’s not my focus right now. Gotta get mind right. My body right.” 

Do you think Simmons will get a chance to flip his narrative with the 76ers? Or will this be the end of their time together?

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