1.הסיקסרס לא שילמו לבן סימונס את 25% ממשכורתו, שהיו אמורים (חייבים?) לשלם לו ביום ששי

לפני יומיים, ביום ששי, הסיקסרס היו אמורים להכניס לחשבון הבנק של סימונס 25% ממשכורתו השנתית, 8.25 מיליון.

הם לא הכניסו אפילו סנט אחד.

כשדרל מוריי נשאל למה, מה קרה, הוא רק הגיב:

“it’s very clearly spelled out in the CBA and his contract what happens.”

עכשיו כל העסק מתחיל להיות רציני כי זה סוף לדיבורים והתחלת ה-$$$.

Fischer writes, “Philadelphia views Simmons’ refusal to report to training camp as not fulfilling the terms of his contract. In dialogue with league-office personnel and players union officials, the Sixers appear to be within their rights to withhold that lucrative check.”

Fischer also reports that Simmons’ response to this move from the Sixers could be to return to Philadelphia as soon as before their first preseason game against the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 4, while continuing to hold out on the basis of an injury.

2. ג'ואל אמביד מביע את דעתו סוף סוף בעניין בן סימונס: "מוזר. מתמיה. חריג. מאכזב. כפוי תודה"

הריאיון עם אמביד יצא לאור עם הכתבה של סם אמיק ב-THEATHLETIC. אכניס רק חלקים ממנה כי היא ארוכה מדי.https://theathletic.com/2854156/2021/09/28/ben-simmons-believes-playing-with-joel-embiid-has-run-its-course-and-sixers-media-day-messages-fall-flat-with-him/?source=twitterhq

האנגלית בסיסית מאד והשארתי את דברי אמביד כפי שהוא אמר אותם.

המשפט הראשון מסביר למעשה את מקור הבעייה:

“As Simmons sees it, sources say, the organization’s choice to build its basketball ecosystem around Embiid’s style simply isn’t conducive to the way he needs to play.”

במין 'הצהרה' בת 4 דקות אמביד הסביר את דעתו בנידון. הנה כמה נקודות שאני קלטתי מדבריו:

*הוא לא העליב, לא קרע, ולא השפיל את בן סימונס. בקטע אחד הוא אפילו הודה: "אנחנו קבוצה יותר טובה איתו על הפרקט".

*ה-idiosyncratic skill של סימונס השפיע על הגיאומטריה של כל המשחק שלנו ובכך המטרה של ההנהלה לקחת אליפות עם התבססות עלי ועליו לא הושגה.

*זה כמובן איכזב אבל שימו לב:

“. “But I feel like over the years, the way our team has been built around — like you look at last year, you got the whole starting lineup shot — I was the worst 3-point shooter in the starting lineup, and I shot 38 percent from 3.”

*אחת הבעיות של סימונס היא שהוא לא משתפר. הוא קלע 15.9 נק' ל-36 דק' עם 7.7 אסיסטים. אלה בדיוק היו המספרים שלו כשהוא היה רוקי. השיטה ההתקפית של הסיקסרס לא גרמה לסימונס נזק או עצרה ממנו להשתפר.

*We’ve always had shooters, and I feel like I can really play with anybody and I can make anybody be better on the court,” Embiid said. “I don’t necessarily need shooters, but I feel like over the years, you look at like when we signed Al (Horford), it’s because we needed a stretch five just to make sure that was formed. Most of my career I’ve had to kinda step out to the 3-point line, which I don’t mind. I like to be a basketball player. I like to do everything on the basketball court. But I feel like our teams have been built, whether it’s the shooting needed or the stretch five and all that stuff, I feel like we’ve had it here.”

“And we still have (shooting),” Embiid continued. “We’ve got Seth (Curry), like I said, one of the best 3-point shooters ever. Danny Green, Tobias (Harris) is a 40 percent 3-point shooter. Furkan (Korkmaz) coming off the bench, at times Shake (Milton) I think can be a better shooter, but you know, he can get hot. We just added Georges (Niang). So I feel like our teams have always been built around his needs.”

*ואז הוא מוסיף:

. What team is going to put four shooters on the floor around Simmons that can also hold up defensively in the way the Sixers can? What team is going to employ two credible centers that stretch the floor for Simmons? And how can a player who just came off a playoff series in which he attempted zero shots in the fourth quarter of the final four games be credibly given the keys to an offense a la Giannis Antetokounmpo? Even if that team exists, would it be any good?

*

“So it was kind of surprising to see,” Embiid said. “I’ll always say that even going back to, I mean the reason we signed Al is (him). We got rid of Jimmy (Butler), which I still think was a mistake, just to make sure that he needed the ball in his hands and that’s the decision they made.”

*

“Like I said, it is surprising, but I’m really focused on the guys that are here,” Embiid said. “The situation is weird, disappointing, borderline kinda disrespectful to all the guys that are out here fighting for their lives. Some guys rely on the team to be successful to stay in the league and make money somehow. Because if you’re on a winning team, you’re always gonna have a spot in the league, just because you’re on a winning team and you contributed. Obviously, we’re a better team with him. We’re not a better team without him. We are a better team with him. But like I said, it is surprising but I’m focused on the guys that are here.”

*

“We’re trying to get better,” Embiid said. “We’re trying to get on the same agenda. We know what we gotta do, and every single day we gotta attack it and keep trying to get better every single day. But we are a better team with him. There’s no question about it.

“But we still hope that he changes his mind, but I kinda owe it to these guys to just worry about what we have here. That’s the front office’s job to kind of figure out what’s going to happen. That’s not my job, I’m not the GM, I’m not the owner so that’s actually none of my business honestly.”

Perhaps only one thing from this week is clear. Joel Embiid is now willing to say the uncomfortable truth about Ben Simmons’ game out loud.