Ben Simmons has confirmed that he will not be in the Australian basketball team that will travel to Tokyo for the Olympics. There were rumors that the star was weighing his options and deciding whether being in the Olympics was a good idea. Platforms such as on bettors.ng had formulated their odds on Australia, hoping that the star will be on the team. But they will now have to go back to the drawing board since the team will be weaker without this NBA star.
Reasons for Missing The Olympics
Simmons has for several weeks been saying that he hopes to improve some of his tactical skills. His first indicator of taking a break was after the Sixers lost the conference semifinal to Atlanta Hawks. He averaged only 9.9 points and 8.6 assists over the series of seven games. The team and the fan had expected him to perform better, and this subdued performance attracted a lot of criticism.
After the last game, he said he wanted to take some time off to develop some of his skills. He did not categorically say that he would not participate in the Olympics, but his comments were interpreted that he would be playing the next game once the NBA season is back. He felt that the criticism was genuine and the only way to improve is to avoid the Olympics and concentrate on his personal development.
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Effects of Simmons Missing the Olympics
The Australian team will for sure feel the effects of Simmons missing from the team. He is a three-time all-star, and this shows how important he is to the team. Most of the players in the Australian team look at him as a role model because of his many achievements despite being only 24 years. The Australian team head coach has already said that he will have to develop a new strategy since his plan included Simmons. He will have to look for a replacement, which might have a severe effect on the team’s performance in the Olympics.
Besides the effects on the Australian basketball team, missing the Olympics will also have an effect on Simmons as an individual. He will most likely come back as an improved player both mentally and psychologically. But if his national team fails to perform well in the Olympics, he will have a sense of guilt. He will feel that his contributions would have changed the fortunes of the team. This is why besides the physical development he is undergoing during the offseason; he also needs to undergo mental development. He will need to be mentally strong to handle the guilt of abandoning his national team when it needed him most.
The decision by Simmons to miss the Olympics is enormous considering that many players would give almost anything to be included in their national teams. However, this decision is justified considering the declining performance of this performance, which might decline even further if he does not take drastic measures. Therefore, Simmons has decided to sacrifice the Olympics and the national team to better his future performance in the NBA.
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