Ben Simmons was not even the player featured in Zion Williamson’s latest workout video, yet the Australian still became one of the biggest targets as sceptical NBA fans ridiculed another annual promise of an injury-plagued star finally changing.
Williamson recently appeared in training footage looking leaner and moving impressively as he prepares for another attempt to relaunch his career with the New Orleans Pelicans.
The response was brutally predictable.
“We not falling for this,” one supporter wrote as fans questioned whether an encouraging offseason video would translate into availability and performance during the regular season.
Another labelled Williamson the “new Ben Simmons”, according to a report syndicated by Yahoo Sports.
That comparison says considerably more about Simmons’ damaged reputation than it does about Williamson.
The former No.1 draft pick has spent years releasing workout footage, displaying an occasional jump shot and suggesting he is physically prepared to rediscover the form that once made him an All-NBA selection.
Those promises repeatedly ended with further injuries, reduced production and another disappointing season.
Simmons has now signed a one-year, US$3.5 million contract with the Sacramento Kings after sitting out the entire 2025–26 campaign.
He finally has another opportunity to change the conversation.
Until he performs in real NBA games, his name will remain shorthand for a comeback nobody believes.
Simmons Has Become Bigger Than the Original Story
Williamson’s workout footage prompted the latest comparison because his career has followed several themes associated with Simmons.
Both entered the NBA as extraordinary prospects.
Both possessed physical tools rarely seen in players of their size.
Both became All-Stars before injuries and questions surrounding their commitment began overwhelming discussion of their talent.
Williamson has repeatedly produced encouraging offseason images and videos before failing to remain available throughout an NBA season.
Simmons has endured an even more damaging cycle.
Footage emerges showing him shooting, moving freely or training with confidence. Optimism grows that a former All-Star could finally return. The regular season then exposes continuing physical or offensive limitations.
Fans no longer judge the workout itself.
They judge the history surrounding it.
Simmons’ name appearing beneath Williamson’s video demonstrates how completely the Australian has become associated with unreliable offseason optimism.
That reputation will not disappear because he signs another contract or looks impressive in an empty gym.
It can only change through sustained performance when the games matter.
Sacramento Has Given Simmons a Real Opportunity
The Kings officially confirmed Simmons’ return after he completed detailed medical examinations, an on-court workout and meetings with coach Doug Christie and members of the organisation’s basketball staff.
The contract guarantees him a place back in the league after Sacramento became the only team prepared to make a concrete offer.
Golden State and Minnesota reportedly expressed interest, but neither progressed beyond the possibility of a training-camp invitation.
Sacramento committed US$3.5 million after general manager Scott Perry watched Simmons work out in Miami and held an hour-long meeting with him.
The Kings are expected to use the 30-year-old as a backup point guard behind rookie Darius Acuff Jr. while taking advantage of his ability to defend across several positions.
That is a drastically different role from the one Simmons occupied in Philadelphia.
He is no longer being paid as a franchise cornerstone, asked to become an aggressive scorer or expected to carry a contender through the playoffs.
Sacramento wants him to defend, rebound, create transition opportunities and organise stretches of offence when its young point guard rests.
The reduced expectations could give Simmons the best chance of succeeding since his career began to unravel.
Boomers Camp Made the Comeback Credible
Simmons did more than release another carefully edited workout video before receiving Sacramento’s offer.
He travelled to Australia at his own expense and participated fully in a Boomers minicamp featuring established NBA players including Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels.
The sessions provided something individual workouts could not: evidence that Simmons could compete against elite players, complete full training and return for further work.
ESPN reported that his stock rose after the camp.
Simmons subsequently impressed Sacramento during his private workout and medical assessment, transforming what had been a speculative comeback into a completed NBA contract.
That distinction matters.
Fans are entitled to remain sceptical after years of disappointment, but this comeback has already progressed further than another social-media clip.
The Kings evaluated Simmons directly and decided he was worth a guaranteed one-year investment.
That does not prove he will remain healthy or become an important rotation player.
It does prove the latest attempt is not built entirely upon publicity.
The Numbers Explain Why Fans Stopped Believing
Simmons’ decline has been extraordinary.
He averaged 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 8.2 assists during his rookie season before earning three consecutive All-Star selections between 2019 and 2021.
At his peak, Simmons was one of the NBA’s most disruptive defenders.
His size allowed him to guard every position, while his speed in transition created scoring opportunities few 6-foot-10 players could replicate.
He made the All-NBA Third Team in 2020, earned two All-Defensive First Team selections and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2021.
His most recent season looked almost unrecognisable.
Simmons averaged 5.0 points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds across 51 appearances for Brooklyn and the Los Angeles Clippers in 2024–25.
After joining the Clippers, his production fell to 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists in limited minutes.
He then missed the entire 2025–26 season while rehabilitating persistent back and leg problems.
The frustration surrounding Simmons has often focused upon his refusal to shoot.
His deteriorating body has been just as important.
Recurring back problems reduced the explosiveness that powered almost every elite aspect of his game. Without that athletic advantage, his lack of shooting became even harder to hide.
The Jump-Shot Videos Did Lasting Damage
Simmons did not create every exaggerated claim surrounding his offseason workouts.
However, repeated footage of him making jump shots contributed to expectations he never met.
Almost every offseason appeared to contain evidence that Simmons had expanded his range.
Almost every regular season ended with defenders continuing to leave him unguarded outside the paint.
The Sporting Base previously examined the reaction when Simmons hit another offseason three-pointer, with many supporters immediately refusing to believe the footage represented a meaningful change.
That scepticism is justified.
Simmons has made only five three-pointers during his NBA regular-season career.
He does not need to become an elite shooter to help Sacramento, but he must provide enough offensive aggression to prevent opponents from completely abandoning him.
Passing away open lay-ups or refusing uncontested mid-range attempts would allow defenders to crowd Acuff and Sacramento’s other creators.
The Kings can accommodate a non-shooter.
They cannot comfortably accommodate a player unwilling to threaten the basket at all.
Kings Deal Carries Almost No Financial Risk
Sacramento’s decision remains entirely defensible even if Simmons fails.
A one-year, US$3.5 million agreement is insignificant compared with the five-year, US$177 million maximum contract he previously signed with Philadelphia.
The Kings are not depending upon him to rescue their rebuild.
They are purchasing the possibility that a healthier version of a former All-Star can become a versatile reserve.
Sacramento finished last season with a 22-60 record, tying for the worst mark in the Western Conference.
The organisation waived DeMar DeRozan and allowed Russell Westbrook to leave, creating opportunities within a reshaped backcourt.
Simmons can help protect Acuff from immediately carrying every playmaking responsibility.
His presence should also allow Christie to experiment with larger defensive lineups and use Simmons as a small-ball centre in selected matchups.
If his body fails or the offensive fit becomes unworkable, Sacramento can move on after one season without damaging its long-term salary position.
If Simmons recovers even part of his Philadelphia form, the contract becomes one of the NBA’s biggest bargains.
Simmons Does Not Need to Become an All-Star Again
The greatest mistake would be measuring this comeback against the player Simmons was expected to become.
He is unlikely to average 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists while competing for major individual awards.
That version may be gone permanently.
Success should instead mean staying healthy, accepting a reserve role and becoming a dependable contributor.
Simmons can still influence games without making three-pointers.
He can defend larger guards, switch onto forwards, rebound and push the ball before opposing defences become organised.
His passing remains valuable, particularly when surrounded by willing cutters and shooters.
Sacramento does not need him to dominate the ball or recreate his former status.
It needs him to perform a clear role without allowing his limitations to undermine the rest of the lineup.
That requires humility as much as talent.
Simmons must accept that minutes will be earned rather than guaranteed and that Acuff represents Sacramento’s future at point guard.
Only NBA Games Can Repair His Reputation
Simmons has already achieved something significant by returning to the league.
He attended the Boomers camp, impressed Sacramento during a medical examination and workout, and convinced the Kings to offer the only guaranteed contract available to him.
None of that will stop fans from using his name to mock the next injury-prone star appearing in an offseason video.
The comparison with Williamson proves how deeply the scepticism has settled.
Simmons has become a warning against believing footage without evidence.
The only way to change that is painfully simple.
He must play.
He must remain available when Sacramento travels, when the schedule becomes difficult and when his body is required to recover between games.
He must defend with purpose, attack open space and contribute when opponents dare him to become involved offensively.
Another impressive workout will achieve nothing.
One productive month will not be enough either.
Simmons needs to build a season that makes supporters reconsider what his name represents.
Sacramento has given him the platform.
Now he must ensure “the new Ben Simmons” eventually stops sounding like an insult.
