Ever since the Atlanta Hawks eliminated the Philadelphia 76ers from the playoffs last season, there has been a rift between the 76ers and Ben Simmons. In the post-match press conferences, both coach Doc Rivers and star Joel Embiid were extremely negative towards the Australian. Embiid basically blamed Simmons for the loss which effectively put an end to the process.
Due to this the rift has developed to the point where Simmons refused to report to their training camp. Then, in an effort to get the Australian back into the fold, the 76ers played hardball, fining him for every dollar that they could.
Simmons did eventually turn up to practice but was thrown out for not putting enough effort in. It appears that the 76ers were trying to hardball Simmons back into the fold but were unsuccessful. As a result, they have been looking to trade him, trying to get the best return they can. Recently the Hawks emerged as suitors, so here we take a look at why it may not be a bad thing.
Areas Ben Simmons could help the Atlanta Hawks No. 1) Rebounding
While the Hawks have the leading rebounder in the league from last season in Clint Capela, they often give up too many offensive rebounds. One thing that Simmons does is he attacks the boards with passion on both ends of the floor.
Depending on who the Hawks have to trade away to get Simmons, he would need to at least match their production. Being so tall, strong, and nimble, Simmons is going to produce high-level numbers of rebounds every night.