‘If not now, when?’: Boomers greats unhappy with Simmons’ call to skip Olympics

Boomers greats Shane Heal and Chris Anstey believe Ben Simmons will come to regret never representing Australia at a major tournament after the Philadelphia 76ers star confirmed he would skip the Tokyo Olympics.

Simmons is under intense scrutiny in Philadelphia after the 76ers crashed out of the NBA playoffs in the eastern conference semi-finals to an Atlanta Hawks team boasting considerably less talent.

The fallout has seen Simmons opt to stay in the United States and work on a jump shot which is “broken”, according to Heal, rather than join Joe Ingles, Patty Mills and a host of other Australian NBA stars in Tokyo.

Simmons’ absence, confirmed by Boomers coach Brian Goorjian on Tuesday morning, came as little surprise to Heal.

“It would have been more of a surprise to me if he played. I’m more shocked that people are shocked he’s not playing,” Heal told the Herald and The Age.

“There has been nothing that has indicated over lots of years that it’s a priority for him to play for the Boomers. He says that he wants to play but it’s more of a bucket list thing when it suits him.

Ben Simmons suffered from the free-throw line in the NBA playoffs.Credit: AP

“You only play for your national team if you are really passionate about that team, making them better and competing for a medal. There are a lot of sacrifices that are made because it’s a long, long season and you need an off-season as well. You sacrifice to be able to do it.

“You see Joey, Patty Mills, [Matthew] Dellavedova and all the guys in the generation before them that were passionate about doing it – you love it, you lock it in and you decide that is what you’re going to do.

“But it’s different for Ben.

“He has never shown that same commitment or passion to sacrifice in the off-season and invest in the Boomers and have a desire to want to do it.”

Simmons’ absence from the Boomers squad which is chasing a medal in Tokyo is a result of a dramatic fall from grace.

A three-time NBA All-Star, Simmons was compared to LeBron James after a one-year stint at Louisiana State University led to the 76ers taking him with the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA draft.

But his inability to add an efficient jump shot to an elite playmaking and defensive game have plagued Philadelphia’s quest for playoffs success and finally came to a head against the Hawks, where Simmons refused to shoot the ball in crunch time.

“When he came out of college and came to the NBA, that was something he said he wanted to develop and everyone said he would have to develop to become one of the true superstars of the NBA,” Heal said.

“Over the last three years, it’s regressed. He hasn’t shown a commitment to do the work day-to-day to give himself confidence to then go and do it during a game.

“He’s regressed that far that he doesn’t have any confidence at all to shoot outside the key. He was doing that three years ago.

“His shot is broken. He needs a complete overhaul.

“That’s done in the gym, doing the basics, day in, day out.

“But he has to commit to that if he really wants to take his game to another level.”

Both Heal and Anstey would be stunned to see Simmons return to the 76ers.

His relationship with fellow 76ers All-Star Joel Embiid has soured and Simmons’ inability to shoot clutters the space the star centre needs to thrive.

Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons during the playoffs.Credit: Getty

“Despite what people think here, this has been Embiid’s team for a long time. I don’t think Embiid would let Simmons come back,” Anstey told the Herald and The Age.

“Embiid needs space, he needs shooters around him and so does Ben. Look at the team the Bucks have put around Giannis [Antetokounmpo] or the way Draymond Green facilitates at the Warriors.

“It may have come to a head now but I reckon it came to a head when Ben was told he was traded to the Rockets for James Harden and it fell through after he was told.

“That couldn’t have possibly helped and I’ve been told he battled with that. I’d be amazed if he ever played another game for the 76ers.”

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