Stephen A. Smith is out of his mind comparing Joel Embiid to Ben Simmons and I absolutely love it

What a delightful day in the Delaware Valley. We have the national media dishing out Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons comparisons and I couldn’t be happier. Seriously, sign me up. I don’t care if it’s wild, out of pocket, or downright insane—this is the kind of chaos I live for.

You can roll your eyes and scream “blasphemy!” like Stephen A. Smith himself, but let’s take a step back and think about why this could finally mean something good for the Sixers this season.

Stephen A. Smith: “Let me say this to Joel Embiid in all seriousness: You’re about a tad bit away from being compared to Ben Simmons. … You bring up the injuries and all of that stuff, I look at the disinterest on his face… the lack of enthusiasm.”

Stephen A. Smith is off his rocker: Joel Embiid is Ben Simmons? I absolutely love it.

"Let me say this to Joel Embiid in all seriousness: You're about a tad bit away from being compared to Ben Simmons. … You bring up the injuries and all of that stuff, I look at the disinterest on his face… the lack of enthusiasm."

– Stephen A. Smithpic.twitter.com/s4tyDip8zV

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 17, 2024

Complete The Process: Ben Simmons attempted to ‘mend the fences’ with Joel Embiid over the Summer- A Reunion in Philly Incoming?

Ben Simmons’ last great season in the NBA? That was with Joel Embiid in Philly. The Sixers’ most dominant teams, their best chances to win a Finals—or at the very least, finally escape the second round—were with the dynamic yet dysfunctional pairing of Embiid and Simmons.

Say whatever you want about it. I can guarantee that if you do not agree with me, it’s probably just your emotions talking and you simply don’t know ball as well as you think you do.

The facts are that when it worked, it worked.

• Top Tier Defense: Simmons guarding 1 through 5, Embiid locking down the paint.
• Pace of Play / Fast Break Offense: Simmons charging down the court like a freight train while Embiid trailed for a dagger three.
• The Vibes: Unhinged but electric.

It’s easy to forget because of how it all ended—Simmons passing up the dunk, the drama, the memes—but there was a time when this was one of the most exciting young duos in the NBA. Two generational talents under the same roof, both top picks, both bringing entirely different skillsets to the table.

So when Stephen A. tosses this take into the ether regarding injuries, lack of interest, or whatever else he’s speaking on, I don’t even think it’s as much of a criticism as people think. At least for me (I’m an idiot) It’s more of a reminder of what could have been.

Bring back Ben Simmons.

The Brooklyn Nets are in absolute shambles. Fans are calling Ben Simmons the “Tank Commander” while he’s fighting for his life all by himself on the court every night. Meanwhile in Philly, the 76ers can’t catch a break. Everyone is hurt, literally all of the time.

Simmons might be collecting checks, but he’s not doing worse than anything happening in Philly this season.

The Sixers are always one piece away…when healthy. So let’s get nostalgic, let’s get reckless, and let’s start banging the drum for a Simmons buyout and a Philadelphia reunion.

Before you exit out of the article because you’re still too emotional on how things ended with Ben Simmons in Philadelphia, why don’t you suck it up for three minutes and continue reading? I’m beyond sick of 76ers pretending like the Simmons-Embiid era wasn’t the undisputed BEST basketball we have witnessed in this city in nearly two decades. Grow the fuck up and at the very least, be open to a reunion in Philadelphia, okay?

WHO’S WITH ME….?!

Okay fine but if you’re still reading, there’s obvious that something is still intriguing about this so thank you for sticking with me. Here’s where I’m at…

• Simmons running the fast break again.
• Simmons locking down the best player on the other team. Embiid dominates the paint.
• Simmons not shooting, as he does best, but this time it doesn’t matter because Tyrese Maxey and Paul George are bombing threes.

It’s not about restoring Ben Simmons’ career—it’s about restoring order to the realm of Sixers basketball. Sure, it’s ridiculous. Sure, it probably won’t happen. But as someone who watched this duo in their prime, I can’t help but wonder what could be if we put the band back together for one more run.

Stephen A. Smith might have lost his mind, but if his take gets us talking about Embiid and Simmons in general, let alone comparing the two, regardless of context, that’s just more headlines where our guys are linked and a sure sign of destiny about an Embiid-Simmons reunion, then I’m all in. Philly loves chaos, and nothing would be more chaotic—or more Sixers—than bringing Ben Simmons home to run it back.

The more Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are mentioned in the same sentence, the better. I’m dead serious. Keep the takes coming. Keep the comparisons rolling. Keep stirring the pot, because it’s time we stop pretending like the Embiid-Simmons era didn’t give us some of the most exciting basketball Philly has seen in decades.

Look, I get it—things fell apart. The Simmons drama reached biblical proportions. But if we’re talking pure basketball, those Sixers teams were a force. The potential was off the charts. The defense was elite. The fast breaks were electric. They were one or two moves away from winning it all, and anyone denying that is rewriting history.

Every time Stephen A. or anyone else brings up Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid together, it’s like the universe trying to send us a message: “Run it back.” It’s not just about nostalgia—it’s about unfinished business. Somewhere deep in the NBA multiverse, there’s a version of this duo hoisting a Larry O trophy, and we’re all losing our minds in Broad Street parades.

Ben Simmons’ career has stalled in Brooklyn. Joel Embiid is still an MVP-caliber monster, but he needs help. And Philly? We are always ready for chaos. So let’s manifest it. Keep the Embiid-Simmons chatter alive. Keep dreaming. Because the longer we talk about these two together, the closer we get to restoring glory to Philadelphia basketball.

Bring Ben home. Fix the timeline.

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