NBA Playoffs: Ben Simmons Gets Crushed After Awful Game 5

Ben Simmons gets crushed by fans, analysts after Game 5 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers had plenty of blame to place after their embarrassing Game 5 loss to the Hawks, blowing a 26-point lead and dropping a crucial game in their second-round series.

But one good place to start? Their No. 2 All-Star basically disappearing once again on offense.

Ben Simmons is a total jigsaw puzzle to understand for basketball fans, a defensive wunderkind who doesn't know how to shoot the ball. After the Sixers' loss Wednesday night, however, his performances are getting harder and harder to defend, even for big Simmons fans.

The 24-year-old was hearing it from national analysts after he scored just eight points and attempted just four shots while also missing 10 of 14 free throws in a make-or-break game:

Worst FT% by a player in a single playoff run (min 50 attempts):

27.3 — Ben Wallace in 2006
32.8 — Ben Simmons this playoffs
37.3 — DeAndre Jordan in 2016 pic.twitter.com/PLyx2QwG3s

— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 17, 2021

Ben Simmons took FOUR shots tonight. FOUR shots. #SixersOutsiders

— Tyrone Johnson (@TyJohnsonNews) June 17, 2021

don't wanna pile on simmons, but the potential of the sixers hinged on the idea of having two superstars. it's undeniable that they have a superstar and ben simmons.

— bomani (@bomani_jones) June 17, 2021

Ben Simmons is a glorified role player.

— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) June 17, 2021

Philly has to trade Ben Simmons this offseason while he still has value. I can't defend him anymore.

— Mark Gunnels (@MarkAGunnels) June 17, 2021

But national voices crushing Simmons' game is nothing new. He's been a lightning rod for basically his whole career. 

What's new is Sixers fans starting to turn on Simmons en masse as well.

Here's a sampling of some Sixers fans who were simply done with Simmons, and are thinking about an offseason trade:

Cool, cool, cool pic.twitter.com/BKnDlNsOpn

— Adam Hermann (@adamwhermann) June 17, 2021

How does it make you feel when the crowd sarcastically cheers you on if you hit two free throws? @BenSimmons25

— Mike Meech (@meechone) June 17, 2021

For the record I’d be a huge Ben Simmons fan if he had Seth Curry’s contract

— Dan (@snaxonly) June 17, 2021

I’m going to say it...trade Ben Simmons!! If he’s called to be a defensive stopper only and his man scores 39 what’s his value? #Sixers #NBAPlayoffs

— Quincy Byrd (@qbyrd312) June 17, 2021

Trade Ben. Trade Tobias. They aren’t good enough.

— Mike C (@mhc_76) June 17, 2021

And here's NBC Sports Philadelphia's Marc Jackson after the game, on Simmons' disappointing performance:

"I'll be the bad guy. Four shots, and 4-for-14 from the free throw line? That can't work for a quote superstar. A team that finished the No. 1 seed, fighting for the championship, and is a pretty good favorite to at least get to the Eastern Conference Finals. That doesn't work. Period." 

Simmons' relationship with Sixers fans has been contentious for years now, thanks in large part to his inability to develop much of anything new in his game. But if even his normal game is going to shrink in big moments?

Well, he might not be long for this city after all.