0.8 points in the playoffs, Simmons refused to have a basic salary! Who will take over the No. 1 pick with a reputation and bankruptcy?

From the surprise defending Jokic to the spectator in the tiebreak, Ben Simmons' playoff journey with the Clippers has become the cruelest metaphor of his career. In the overtime battle against the Jazz in February, the Staples Center burst into a long-lost cheer. Simmons, wearing the Clippers' jersey, used 12 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and 1 block, and was praised by the media as "the last puzzle that gives the Clippers the confidence to compete for the championship." At that time, he was regarded as the starting point of the Clippers' dream of tactical development. Five months later, TA Clippers' reporter Law Murray reported a report, but put an end to the short marriage and announced that Simmons was expected to leave the Clippers and he did not want to sign a basic salary.

Sky-high "scrap money", a ridiculous drama about salary and data

Last season, Ben Simmons' salary composition was the most magical realism chapter of the NBA. He received $39.25 million from the Nets, plus the $750,000 paid by the Clippers, and a total income of $40 million. However, the return on the court was only averaged 5 points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game. The difference between this data sheet and salary is enough to be recorded in the history of the most imbalanced cost-effectiveness of the league.

When fans joked about "buying a bench sightseeing voucher of 40 million", the reality is even more cruel. In the five games of the playoffs, Simmons delivered a record of 0.8 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game. Especially in the later stage of the first round of the series against the Nuggets, Coach Tyron Lu directly "hidden" him - in the last two life-and-death battles, the former No. 1 pick was on the bench. Ironically, just two weeks before being abandoned, the Clippers self-media was still cheering for his defense against Jokic: "Simmons' influence in this round of the series cannot be ignored, he provides something completely unique." From defensive surprises to tactical abandoned children, it only takes three losses.

Golden Boy Falls, from the all-round warrior to the attack on the black hole, the clock is turned back to 2018, and the 22-year-old Simmons ranked third in the MVP vote. At that time, he was selected for the best defensive team with the halo of "contemporary magician", and the 76ers' bench would even celebrate his crazily for making a three-pointer. Seven years have passed, and his technical shortcomings have become a fatal fatal point. Only 4 points were scored in five games in the playoffs, and the scene of shooting three shots at open positions is common. The Nuggets even adopted the "empty tactic" - when Simmons held the ball, the defender retreated directly to the three-second zone.

"Defense black holes, there is nothing to do on the offensive end, and only one-hand organizational ability" - media comments hit the nail on the head.

What is even more sad is the collapse of the defensive end. The all-around fighter who was able to defend from No. 1 to No. 5 during the 76ers, now when the Clippers made their debut in the playoffs, the team lost 12.3 points per 100 rounds than when he was not on the court, and his defensive rebounding rate plummeted by 9%. The talent that once approached the DPOY trophy has been gnawed unrecognizable by time and injuries.

Rejecting basic salary, is the final stubbornness or cognitive bias?

When the Clippers team reporter revealed that "the contract will not be renewed unless the basic salary is accepted", Simmons' team's reaction was unexpected. They are confident that they can get higher quotes in the free market and focus on finding "teams with exceptions." Where does this confidence come from?

may have arisen from the illusion of the regular season. In the 18 regular season games of the Clippers, although his average of 3 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists per game was inconspicuous, he had a 52% shooting percentage support. In the early stages of joining in February, he did briefly demonstrate his organizational talent. He passed the ball through the human gap while walking, giving the Clippers bench a long-lost tactical starting point.

Deeper obsessions may come from self-suggestions about the 28-year-old golden age. After all, Curry, who is the same age, just won his first championship. But people will not forget that in the past four seasons, he has only played 108 games due to injury, and his attendance rate has just exceeded 30%. When "load management" became synonymous with him, the patience of the team's management has long been exhausted.

The battle for residual value, who is willing to pay for fantasy?

History is always surprisingly similar - when the Nets bought out Simmons in February this year, the Cavaliers, Clippers and Rockets fought for 6. Now that the free market has restarted, teams with injury special cases or middle class terms may be betting on the "scratch" player again.

It is interesting to note that Clippers self-media Clippers UK once emphasized during the playoffs: "He provided great value when Zubac left the court." This functionality of a specific scene is exactly Simmons' last bargaining chip. When a team needs to defend the opponent's star inside, or the second team lacks a playmaker, his height and vision of 2.08 are still attractive.

But the cruel problem is ahead: when a player averages 5 points per game in the regular season and 0.8 points in the playoffs, but refuses to have a basic salary, his self-positioning and the value of the court have already reached a fatal gap. Some fans commented sharply: "Bensi is now a basic salary player." Simmons packed his bags for the last time in front of the locker in the locker in the Staples Center locker. When he first arrived in Los Angeles five months ago, the label was covered with "Champion Puzzle"; five months later, there was only an undeclared lottery left on the cabinet door. When the Nuggets hug and celebrate after the tiebreak, the No. 40 million pick is silently entering the shadow of the player channel.

The free market phone may ring, but it may take great courage or hallucination to pay a team that is willing to pay a higher salary for "the organizer who cannot shoot + the defensive defender who is inactive." Simmons, 28, stands at the crossroads of fate. What he refuses is not only the basic salary contract, but also the NBA world's ultimatum for "waste of talent."