It’s been a tough few years for Ben Simmons. He’s experienced a significant decline in his on-court production since the end of the 2020-21 NBA season. A loss of confidence, chronic back issues and limited development in his ability to score outside of four feet have all played a role in a shocking and unexpected decline. Simmons missed the entirety of the 2021-22 season due to a back injury and hasn’t been the same player since. Interestingly, his holdout that year also coincided with his decision to pass up an open dunk in the dying moments of a game seven in the Eastern Conference semifinals. There’s a case to be made that Simmons’ biggest hurdle has been a significant loss in confidence. Simmons went from a 14.3 points, 6.9 assists and 7.2 rebounds per night machine in 2020-21, where he finished 12th in MVP voting and second in the Defensive Player of the Year race, to producing just 2.9 points, 3.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds for the LA Clippers to close out the current season. The former first overall
