76ers' Ben Simmons Says Team Had Issues with Accountability Last Season

As the Philadelphia 76ers look forward to a fresh start in 2020-21 under new head coach Doc Rivers, Ben Simmons offered an explanation for what went wrong with the team last season. 

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Simmons said the Sixers "one hundred percent" had issues with accountability: "We didn't know when we were going to get a bucket, who was going to get us a bucket. From that to knowing what we needed to be in at all times, people being held accountable for certain things, whether it's a minor thing, it all plays a part."

Former teammate Josh Richardson, who was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in November, spoke about the issues in August.

"He definitely was right," Simmons said. "We weren't in a position to go into that bubble and win. I think our mindset was off, and accountability is a huge part of winning. So I think he was definitely right."

Philadelphia started last season with high expectations after adding Richardson and Al Horford to the roster. 

ESPN.com's panel of analysts gave the Sixers the third-highest percentage of votes to win the 2019-20 NBA championship. 

After a promising 20-7 start, the 76ers played .500 ball the rest of the season (23-23) and finished as the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. 

Simmons played three regular-season games in the Orlando bubble before undergoing knee surgery on Aug. 10. The Sixers were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics, leading to the firing of head coach Brett Brown.

Rivers and Daryl Morey, the new president of basketball operations, have been brought in to get the franchise past the second round of the playoffs for the first time since the 2000-01 season, when it reached the NBA Finals before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games. 

The 24-year-old Simmons figures to be a significant part of what the Sixers are building this season. The two-time All-Star averaged 16.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game in 2019-20 to earn All-NBA third-team honors. He led the league with 2.1 steals per contest and was named to the All-Defensive first team.