Training camp normally allows all 30 NBA teams to beam with confidence before reality strikes. New coaches like Boston’s Ime Udoka talked away the problems of one year ago. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum affirmed their mutual respect, while Al Horford boasted his best shape in years. Elsewhere, one team is already trying to figure out where things went so wrong.
The potentially final effort to win Ben Simmons back stalled for the 76ers this week -- and ugliness ensued. The team withheld 25% of his contract, the $8.25-million owed Friday, which will cover $227,000 fines for each game he misses starting Monday. He’s reportedly ready to forgo his $33-million salary as part of a season-long holdout.
Joel Embiid, conciliatory a week ago, called the holdout borderline disrespectful and pointed to Philadelphia’s Horford signing as the kind of accommodations Simmons received. In Boston, Horford talked about Philly like basketball Siberia on media day.
“That was definitely very challenging,” Horford said of his time in a 76ers uniform. “It was tough, being over there and dealing with so much change, and so much stuff.”
76ers' stuff evidently made Horford appreciate what he had in Boston, and it continues two seasons later. Horford got to witness and take part in the beginning of the end of the Process-era Sixers during Brett Brown’s final season as head coach and Elton Brand’s as president. Josh Richardson also called out that locker room as Horford's teammate, saying in 2020 it lacked accountability.
Udoka, who coached on that team, said the Philadelphia staff struggled to best utilize Horford, who he sees as rejuvenated back with the Celtics. Philadelphia courted three bigs and little spacing on the way to a first-round sweep at the hands of Boston with Simmons injured, something Boston will now have to navigate with an array of bigger players.
“We signed Al (Horford). We got rid of Jimmy (Butler), which I still think was a mistake,” Embiid said this week. “Just to make sure (Simmons) needed the ball in his hands. That's the decision they made. Like I said, it is surprising.”
Philadelphia’s extended olive branch from earlier in the week got partially revoked by Embiid, refuting the notion that the Sixers didn’t accentuate Simmons’ skills. It also became the first of what could become the postmortem for that era. Jahlil Okafor. Nerlens Noel. Markelle Fultz. Two head coaches. Four presidents. The mistakes went far beyond the Horford signing.
Philadelphia nonetheless spiraled from nearly beating the 2019 champion Raptors in round two, to where they are now after the move, now fielding little interest for Simmons at their preferred price point. They dumped Horford to Oklahoma City with a first-round pick in 2020. The team then missed out on James Harden one year ago, their best chance to maximize Simmon’s value, as the franchise grappled with being unable to walk back comments by Doc Rivers and Embiid following the team’s seven-game loss to Atlanta.
“There are teams that are interested in Ben Simmons, they just don't want to pay the steep price," 76ers reporter Keith Pompey told 97.5 The Fanatic last month. "Ben Simmons knows that, so they are saying why should we help the 76ers out when they feel like when Doc Rivers said what he said, nobody apologized, and Doc was never reprimanded.”
While Embiid and Rivers’ comments represented a rare moment of honesty and the overdue nature of this Simmons breakup, Philadelphia’s lack of opportunity to showcase the star when he’s at rock bottom hurts. If he sits out the season, reportedly intent on playing anywhere except Philly, the lingering last impression teams will have are those passive playoff fourth quarters. The worst free throw percentage among qualifiers in NBA Playoff history. That's a also hefty gamble for Simmons and his agent Rich Paul against a president in Morey who doesn't want to take a loss to Klutch Sports.
The Celtics will benefit from the star’s absence on the 76ers either way. Embiid and Simmons propelled their team to the top of the east last year, and Simmons ranked among the hardest matchups for Jayson Tatum to attack. Tatum shot 9-for-24 over their last five matchups, 37.5%.
It also seems unlikely Simmons lands with any fellow east contenders. Kyrie Irving reportedly would retire before he leaves Brooklyn, with zero reported trade interest. The Raptors could send Pascal Siakam, who’s also out to begin training camp. Finding a destination continues to be difficult.
The Warriors seem to be balking at Simmons’ fit, even as Andrew Wiggins faces missed home games. The Kings likely ask why they’d prefer Simmons to De’Aaron Fox and even Tyrese Haliburton. The Timberwolves just changed presidents over an office affair, and would potentially need to deal Karl-Anthony Towns’ friend D’Angelo Russell. The Spurs, potentially a suitor, stand quietly on the sideline. Teams, and Simmons, likely await Philly’s desperation point, since $33-million isn't necessarily a flier itself.
The concern is real there. The 76ers played .500 basketball in the games during the 14 times Simmons sat last year. Tyrese Maxey shot 30.1% from three and didn’t always earn Rivers’ trust as a rookie. Tobias Harris can score, Matisse Thybulle can defend, but everyone gets stretched more thin in Simmons’ absences without the reinforcement of his trade return. Seth Curry appeared exhausted at times picking up the slack for Simmons’ woes in the playoffs. That's why the olive branch, to some extent, remains extended. The next team we see Simmons play for may just be the 76ers.
“We’re a better team with him,” Embiid said. “But like I said, it is surprising (what Simmons said about fitting in Philadelphia) … we still hope he changes his mind.”
Biggest camp stories for the other 29 teams
Atlanta: The NBA featured Trae Young in a long-previewed crackdown on offensive players initiating contact after shot fakes to draw fouls. Young quipped that he’s “honored” in June on Twitter, but his 8.7 free throws per game that drive almost one-third of his scoring could be impacted alongside other stars.
For the 2021-22 NBA season, there will be an interpretive change in the officiating of overt, abrupt or abnormal non-basketball moves by offensive players with the ball in an effort to draw fouls. The following Points of Education videos showcase areas where a change was needed:
— NBA Official (@NBAOfficial) September 30, 2021
Boston: Will depth be a good thing for a group that describes itself as 7-8 deep with potential starting players? Udoka made the case for Horford to start this week, Richardson said he’s fine playing wherever, while the team’s younger core may need to fight for minutes, period.
Brooklyn: Kyrie is reportedly ineligible to play home games at Barclays Center until he receives the COVID-19 vaccine under a New York City ordinance. The team is in San Diego undergoing training camp ahead of its preseason opener at the Lakers tomorrow. The Nets play their first game in Brooklyn on Friday against the Bucks.
“Obviously I'm not able to be present there today,” Irving said on media day. “But that doesn't mean that I'm putting any limits on the future of me being able to join the team. And I just want to keep it that way, so we can keep that private.”
Irving and Harden also have not signed long-term extensions the team hoped to have wrapped up by the start of the season. Kevin Durant re-upped through 2026.
Charlotte: Gordon Hayward feels healthy after another lower-body issue derailed his first season in Charlotte, one where the Hornets pushed toward a home-court playoff berth before injuries struck. This roster’s all about rookie of the year LaMelo Ball now, who head coach James Borrego said needs to go from dominating off of feel to taking the next step in basketball IQ and commanding Charlotte’s system. The Hornets took an offseason bonding trip to Miami.
"I'm excited about our additions,” Hayward said. “Hopefully we'll push the pace in transition. We have a lot of speed. The young guys have a lot of potential ... we have a great vibe and chemistry already.”
Chicago: The Bulls’ fans haven’t been this excited since Derrick Rose. Lonzo Ball and Demar DeRozan join Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine as this offseason’s winners. Last offseason’s winners, the Nets returning Durant and landing Harden shortly into the season, ultimately lost in the second round.
A tampering case also continues to overshadow the Bulls, who could be docked a first-round pick for organizing a complicated sign-and-trade for Ball within the first minute of free agency.
“I’m not one of those guys who sits there and says because Zach LaVine is a really good scorer and so is DeMar, so is Vooch, we’ll just be able to score. I think that’s going to be a work in progress,” Billy Donovan said. “We are going to have to make an incredible investment defensively.”
Cleveland: It still feels like the beginning of a slow rebuild for the Cavaliers, though not on the payroll. Rookie Evan Mobley will heavily factor into the team’s plans alongside the everlasting Kevin Love era and Jarrett Allen receiving a massive payday. Can this team finally inch closer to a playoff berth?
Collin Sexton’s future question looms after he received no extension, while Dylan Windler is just trying to get on the court after two injury-riddled seasons to begin his career. At least Darius Garland made headlines this summer as an apparent favorite of Steph Curry.
Dallas: Offseason drama swept out the Mavericks’ head coach, GM and shadow GM as the heat turned up on owner Mark Cuban following a decade of futility following the 2011 title. This franchise has had problems on the floor, in the offices and now needs new leadership. Luka Doncic is Cuban’s saving grace, now extended long-term, but can Jason Kidd overcome his last two head coaching jobs ending in bad feelings?
Denver: Survive. The Nuggets have a path to meet the Lakers in the west title game again like two seasons ago, and maybe beat them this time if Jamal Murray gets back healthy at some point this season and Michael Porter Jr. (who signed a $207-million extension this week) utilizes the time without him to reach superstardom. Nikola Jokic, the reigning MVP, faces his first season with lofty expectations.
“I want to come back when it feels like I can play with the same kind of force,” Murray said. “Five months ago I could barely lift my leg off my bed. I’ve come a long way. But I have a long way to go.”
Detroit: A potential fun team for their various reasons, the Pistons will not be good in 2021-22. No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham could dazzle, Luka Garza will bang and Detroit may contend for the No. 1 pick again next spring. Can Killian Hayes show anything after an abysmal, injury-riddled rookie year?
Golden State: Wiggins’ vaccine status overshadows all. The Warriors also face a complicated balancing act between young and old. Klay Thompson remains out to start the season following an ACL and Achilles tear in back-to-back seasons, as the realization that we haven’t seen him play since the 2019 NBA Finals brings to light how long it’s been since this team has been a contender. It may be in the past entirely.
“I was playing the best basketball of my life in 2019 when I got hurt,” Thompson said. “I expect to get back there. Not right away just because that was a hundred games worth of work and incredible shape. But when I step back on the floor I’m gonna be a very effective player. Maybe not what I was doing shooting the ball like I was, but I will still be really good.”
The Warriors need James Wiseman, Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga to come along quickly playing in Curry and Steve Kerr’s complicated offense to even dream of contending.
Houston: Another fun team, full of Summer League sensations like Jalen Grenn and Aleperen Sengun, who was taken with the Celtics’ No. 16 pick after it was flipped through Oklahoma City to the Rockets on draft night. This group suddenly feels good about itself again long-term after anger, drama and coach’s tears occasionally filled the podium amid the Harden drama to begin last season.
John Wall will watch from the sidelines this season while he and the team seek a trade partner.
Indiana: Snake-bitten prospect Caris LeVert suffered a stress fracture in his back and will be out indefinitely to begin the season. So will T.J. Warren after his broken foot last year. How long will the Malcolm Brogdon, Myles Turner, Domantas Sabonis core stay intact?
Clippers: The team entering 2021-22 without its star. Nobody knows if Kawhi Leonard will play basketball this season. Paul George showed shades of his former MVP candidate self during a run to the Western Conference Finals last year. Reggie Jackson, Terrence Mann and George face a heavy burden, though Leonard’s long hiatus following his last major injury with the Spurs shouldn’t cast doubt on his urgency returning this year.
“I wanted to play,” Leonard said this week. “The best situation for me was to do it one-and-one and then opt out and sign a long-term five-year deal, but there's a lot of concerns that that brings up for you guys and your job and it creates storylines that I'm going to leave the team. One thing, I wanted to secure some money, and I wanted to be able to come back if I was able to this year.”
Lakers: Anthony Davis is committing to playing some center. LeBron James and Russell Westbrook appear committed to making their strange fit together work. This team could be world-beaters if the new array of role players hit their shots and that trio clicks. Injuries and some awkwardness loom though, as one of the most turbulent playoff performers in recent history is now the x-factor on the favorites in the west.
“Russ and I, we’ve been competing for so long,” Rajon Rondo said. “ I know he’s going to bring it every night. I know he’s looking to destroy me. Likewise, I’m looking to destroy him.”
Grizzlies: With health on their side, growth and one of the best casts of young talent in the NBA, combined with injuries on the Clippers, Golden State and New Orleans may render this group a playoff shoo-in. Look out for Ja Morant in the most-improved player race. This team is fun -- and good.
Miami: Kyle Lowry joined a sneaky-aging core led by Jimmy Butler, despite an underbelly of young role players who struggled to pivot off their surprising 2020 NBA Finals run into a strong follow-up. This will be one of the grittiest opponents in the league next season, but can Butler thrive with the ball out of his hands more? Can this group go 4-on-5 in P.J. Tucker’s minutes like Giannis could? Will Victor Oladipo bring anything to the table following another quad injury? Older teams win, this one just needs to stay intact. One thing’s for sure, Butler serves a good cup of coffee.
Milwaukee: No questions here. The champs are back. Though replacing Tucker with Semi Ojeleye doesn’t earn high marks, the never-satisfied Giannis Antetokounmpo should again be among the MVP favorites this season. Watching him rise from a seemingly devastating knee injury to play as well as any player in NBA Finals history blew all our minds. Don’t take this all-time talent for granted. The Bucks could easily be hoisting Larry O’Brien again as they enter the season healthy, core intact, facing a championship bump. They're my favorite.
Minnesota: Seemingly mulling their roster and future right through training camp, the Timberwolves appear the most eager of the Simmons suitors. Russell, Anthony Edwards and Towns played 24 games together last year and dazzled offensively, while lagging on defense. Is a 13-11 ceiling in those games good enough? It’s a start for a team that’s labored in the NBA basement.
New Orleans: David Griffin already took the podium facing a gut punch after losing Ball and missing the play-in tournament in two consecutive seasons, a playoff quirk that seemingly originated to help Zion Williamson get into the Bubble playoffs. They didn't improve their lackluster defense. Then, Griffin revealed Williamson fractured his foot over the offseason and is out indefinitely. Oof.
New York: Knicks fans who laughed at the Celtics’ misfortune last year face the precarious prospect of investing their hopes and dreams in Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier. Walker affirmed his back-to-back regimen last season was the Celtics’ plan, not his. We’ll see.
“We’re just going to go, playing, see how I feel, game-by-game,” Walker said. “I’m not going to just say I’m not playing back-to-backs. That’s not the deal.”
Oklahoma City: Anybody need to dump another contract? The Thunder are the only team still boasting cap space. They also entered draft night with 34 picks through 2027. Can Aleksej Pokuševski actually make them worth watching?
Orlando: Rebuilding starts now. Jalen Suggs fell here, R.J.Hampton still intrigues after a slow start with the Nuggets, Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac will return at some point and Wendell Carter gets a full training camp. This group could get fun at some point, and rookie head coach Jamahl Mosley scored high points under Doncic.
Phoenix: One of the more unsung defending conference champions. Chris Paul returned, Devin Booker got much better as a facilitator and Deandre Ayton should be motivated after getting drubbed by Giannis in the Finals. They caught breaks during their run, but don’t forget this group had a 2-0 lead over Milwaukee. They're for real.
Portland: Damian Lillard’s future concerns quieted. C.J. McCollum is probably staying despite the Simmons rumors. The question is: how does this core get better? Larry Nance Jr. was one of the hardest trade targets to get and they did it, the players love Chauncey Billups so far, praising the way he breaks down pick-and-roll defense. They’ll be good. Lillard wants to see great.
Sacramento: Still spending ample money on this roster, since not much changed, even a trade deadline favorite in Harrison Barnes returns. Luke Walton somehow survived missing another play-in tournament and the Suns making the playoffs left Sacramento’s drought since 2006 in a class of its own. Break glass for Simmons?
Side note -- Davion Mitchell could win rookie of the year. They’re at least drafting good in SacTown.
San Antonio: It’s still unclear what the mission is here. No team in the NBA boasts less top-end talent entering this season, and it feels like it’s been that way for a few years.
Toronto: Scottie Barnes, Chris Boucher, Precious Achiuwa, Khem Birch and Siakam eventually make this reminiscent of those long-armed early Giannis teams in Milwaukee. Point guard is a concern post-Lowry and Goran Dragic initially didn’t want to be here following the Heat trade. This would be a good landing spot for Simmons, too, without much media noise and with a strong developmental culture. For now, they’re not very good.
Utah: The best team in basketball a year ago had one of the more uninspiring exits from the playoffs, spread five-wide and shot out of the building by the Clippers. More and more, it’s falling into question whether Rudy Gobert can be the centerpiece on a championship team.
Washington: The Wizards entered the offseason boasting they’d be active, with little cap space, draft capital or avenues to seemingly add to an expensive roster. Tommy Sheppard then turned Westbrook into Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and Kyle Kuzma. Spencer Dinwiddie excitedly join the team after. The young talent hasn’t gotten much better here, but Bradley Beal remains happy. That’s all that matters for now.