Talented monster! No one wants it! The forgotten No. 1 pick?

On the NBA stage, physical talent is often regarded as a ticket to the league. Height, wingspan, speed, and explosiveness are all key indicators in the eyes of scouts. When we discuss Simmons, we have to admit a cruel reality:

Even though he was once known as James' successor, even if his defense, passing vision, and propulsion ability are good, no team is willing to provide him with a contract in the summer of 2025.

This is not because Simmons is completely incapable. In fact, even if he can no longer join the team with a maximum salary, his physique and defensive conditions can at least ensure that he is still valuable on the bench. But the question is whether the team is willing to endure the uncertainty?

This uncertainty mainly comes from Simmons' attitude and whether he can play steadily.

Reviewed the 2016 draft, Simmons joined the Philadelphia 76ers as the No. 1 pick. His talent is almost impeccable, his height and arm-span are excellent, his speed is flexible, he can play in the forward position as a ball-controller, and he can play in four positions in defense on the defensive end. After absent due to injury in the rookie season, he emerged as a nod to win the best rookie in the 2017-18 season, leading the 76ers back to the playoff stage as a core.

At that time, Simmons was a fantasy puzzle in the eyes of the coach. He had excellent fast break propulsion, accurate passes and tandems, and first-class assisted defense and switch defense. If you look at the data alone, he could average basic data close to triple-double per game. This is undoubtedly a signal of unlimited prospects for a young player who has just entered the league.

However, all this halo was gradually covered up by the flaws and attitude problems he was reluctant to face.

Since leaving the 76ers in 2022, Simmons' career has completely declined. He has only played 159 games in total, with only 93 starts, and his average data has dropped to 5.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.5 assists, which is no longer as high as the All-Star point guard in the past; and what is even more incredible is that for five years, he has not made any three-pointers at once. This kind of zero-trial data is almost unimaginable in the NBA who pursues space projection in modern times, and also highlights his stagnation in technology and mentality.

There may be people outside that expect Simmons to rekindle his fighting spirit in different environments. Last season, he switched to the Los Angeles Clippers with a basic salary. He originally thought that this would become a turning point in his career. After all, the Clippers are a team determined to compete for the championship. It is completely different from the Nets' bad atmosphere, which should inspire players to compete for the competition. Unfortunately, the reality is extremely cruel. Simmons finally only handed in a dismal data order of 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, with 2.9 shots per game, which was a career low, almost completely losing his presence.

For Clippers head coach Tyron Lu, he has not failed to give Simmons a chance. As a head coach who is equal to everyone, he will deliberately arrange Simmons to play in the playoffs at some point, even in the playoffs, hoping that he will regain his past skills and rely on the defensive organization to become the team's surprise. But Simmons was unable to respond to the head coach's trust in the end, and the offensive end was still as invisible. He hesitated to pass the ball and did not dare to shoot. Even the threat of breakthrough in the past disappeared.

In the end, although the Clippers were eliminated in seven games with the Nuggets, Simmons' playing time decreased one by one, and was eventually completely abandoned in the key sixth and seventh games.

Such an ending not only means that he completely lost trust in the Clippers, but also once again pushed him to the embarrassing brink of no ball to play. From the aura of the No. 1 pick to the neglect of today, Simmons' story is no longer a simple trough, but a case of the collapse of talent, technology and professional attitudes.

Borrowing the fans' jokes, Simmons, the offseason MVP, has been working hard enough in the summer, his shooting posture is smoother than during the official game, and the training content looks serious enough. Every year, reporters have reported "evolved version of Simmons". But the problem is that when the game really starts, these improvements are like never before, shooting is still timid, shooting from outside is still muddy, and even the psychological defense line on the free throw line is becoming increasingly fragile.

Offseason training gradually became a performance, but actual combat games became invisible. This gap also made fans gradually lose patience with him. What's worse is that he is not just a shortcoming on the offensive end. After leaving Philadelphia, he was gradually questioned whether he is willing to play. If the poor performance is still a matter of ability, then whether you are willing to appear is a simple question of attitude.

NBA is a business league after all. For management, what they care most about is never whether the players can play well, but whether they can play stably.

Simmons' problem is that he always misses the game based on his physical condition or psychological problems. Of course, injuries and mental health should not be ignored, but Simmons's handling method has made the outside world feel that he lacks responsibility and professionalism. When a player gives people the impression that he is uncertain whether he can play, then no matter how high his talent is, it is difficult to be recognized by fans.

Compared with those stars who played with injuries, many of them have lower starting points than Simmons, but these players have achieved the respect of fans by burning themselves and never giving up. In contrast, Simmons' choice seems more pale and powerless.

And the NBA is a circle where teams have different connections. Once Simmons is labeled with a negative label, this reputation will spread like a snowball. It is not just a single team questioning, but the entire league sneering at you. The reason why the case of

Simmons has been mentioned many times is that we can hardly find a comparison sample in the history of the league. There has never been an All-Star player in history who refuses to attack or even play on the court due to attitude problems and psychological factors..

If we must find a reference sample, we can barely take out Howard for reference. Howard was also a talented monster at his peak, but as he grew older, his game concentration and attitude issues gradually caused controversy. In addition, the defects of low free throw shooting percentage and single offensive methods were magnified, which eventually led to a rapid decline in career.

However, the biggest difference between Howard and Simmons is that Howard never refuses to play. Even though he is criticized for being scattered, he is at least willing to play. Because of this, although he wanders around the teams with a basic salary in the later stage of his career, he still finds job opportunities and eventually plays a key role in the 2020 Lakers championship journey and completes the final redemption of his career. On the other hand, Simmons' problem is not his ability, but his attitude, not shooting, not breaking through, not taking action, and even lacks motivation to play. When a player lacks the most basic competitive will, he will be given up even if he has excellent physical conditions.

Compared with that, Simmons' dilemma is no longer just a personal tragedy, but the most direct expression of the NBA's talent and attitude. Even though he was once regarded as the future superstar of the league, in just a few years, he has gone from a pride of heaven to a laughing stock that dares not to vote or play, becoming a negative textbook for fans.

So far, the outside world still regards the Celtics as the most likely potential next player in the forecast. The option to retire has not appeared on the list, and fans also seem to find it difficult to believe that this No. 1 pick in his year-old game will really fade out of the NBA? However, from the perspective of NBA team bosses, they may be asking themselves the same sentence repeatedly:

"Will Simmons really play for the team?"

In this era of efficiency and team-oriented, no team is willing to bet on an unknown player. When the league is full of a large number of replacement players who are willing to fight, giving Simmons a guarantee contract is probably not a suitable option. And no matter how dazzling the talent is, a star with no attitude will only wait for him to be a forgotten ending.