The Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies traded blows throughout Wednesday’s afternoon game. The NL East foes exploded for a combined 25 runs before all was said and done and the Nats emerged with a 13-12 victory.
The Phillies weren’t the only team in the City of Brotherly Love that took a shot from Washington’s MLB team on Wednesday. A tweet from the Nationals official account blasted the Philadelphia 76ers and, more specifically, point guard Ben Simmons.
The Sixers were bounced from the NBA’s postseason this past weekend by the Atlanta Hawks after a rousing Game 7 on Sunday. In the series, Simmons averaged just 9.9 points per game and shot an abysmal 33.3 percent from the free-throw line.
The 24-year-old point guard has become somewhat notorious for his lack of three-point attempts over the course of his four seasons in the NBA. This year, he took just 10 shots from behind the arc, connecting on three of them.
During Wednesday’s game against the Phillies, the Nationals decided to poke fun at Simmons for his hesitancy to shoot three-pointers. When Washington’s leadoff hitter, Kyle Schwarber, drilled a game-tying three-run homer in the top of the fifth inning, the team’s Twitter account went after the Philadelphia point guard in a tweet.
“Game-tying 3 pointers in Philly this year:
Ben Simmons: 0
Kyle Schwarber: 1”
Game-tying 3 pointers in Philly this year:
Ben Simmons: 0
Kyle Schwarber: 1@kschwarb12 // #NATITUDE pic.twitter.com/mjZgjsNLJH— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 23, 2021
Simmons has been on the receiving end of jokes and well-deserved criticism since the 76ers Game 7 loss. The three-time All Star disappeared on offense down the stretch of the elimination game which isn’t what the team needed from one of its best players. When combined his lackluster offensive performance throughout the postseason, Sixers fans seem eager to move on from the former No. 1 pick.
The 24-year-old is expected to be one of the biggest names on the trade market this offseason, but it’s unclear how far his value has dropped. He clearly needs a change of scenery and should garner plenty of interest regardless because of his prowess on defense.
If Simmons can land in the right situation and move past his mental struggles with the 76ers, he should prove to be a valuable contributor. Until that happens, he’ll continue to be the punchline of jokes around the sports world.
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