After a season away, three-time All-Star Ben Simmons is back in the NBA.
Earlier this month, Simmons signed a one-year deal with the Sacramento Kings.
Simmons last played in the NBA in 2025 with the Los Angeles Clippers. That season, the 30-year-old averaged 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 18 games with the Clippers.
After that season, Simmons stepped away from basketball and became a competitive angler.
During his time in the league, the 2016 No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft battled a back injury that limited his effectiveness on the court.
No one has ever questioned Simmons’ talent, but they have questioned his love for the game, which he addressed during media day.
“I think that was more so just my body,” he said. “It wasn’t about if I wanted to play. All these people talk about me not loving the game. That’s bull****. I love this game. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have taken that year to focus on myself and get back to where I’m at.”
To his point, Simmons hasn’t been healthy, which has affected his play on the court. At his best, Simmons was an elite defender, great passer, and a solid finisher around the basket.
Does Simmons love the game of basketball? That is hard to say. Only he can truly answer that question.
However, some of his actions over the years make you question his love for the game. His shooting never meaningfully improved, which has limited his ability to impact the game on the offensive end of the court. He was a reluctant shooter and has taken only 36 three-point attempts across his NBA regular-season career. Most of his shots have come from inside the paint.
Simmons is a great athlete, so some things come easy for him, but when challenged to improve his game, he didn’t seem willing to do what it took to get better. His offensive game was basically the same from Year 1 to now.
However, to his credit, he still found ways to impact the game, especially on defense, where he was a two-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection.
In Sacramento, he’ll have a chance to prove all the naysayers wrong. We’ll see if that happens.
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