Ben Simmons Set To Miss Tokyo Olympics To 'Work On Skill Development'

Ben Simmons looks set to skip the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games in a huge blow for the Boomers.

According to ESPN, Australia could be forced to to compete without their star man, with Simmons reportedly keen on staying in the United States to "work on skill development" following his poor form during the NBA playoffs.

Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers were sent crashing out of the Eastern Conference semi-finals after losing to Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks.

The Australian point guard was a shell of his former self, scoring just 5 points in Game 7 and registering the worst free thrown percentage in NBA postseason history - just 34.2% across the series.

In the wake of the damning defeat, some Sixers fans have even called for the team to trade him.

Now the man himself is in major doubt for the Olympic Games in Tokyo later this month with reports suggesting he wants to utilise the NBA offseason to get his confidence back.

"Ben Simmons is doubtful to play for Australia in Tokyo Olympics, sources said," ESPN's Brian Windhorst tweeted.

"Will spend offseason working on skill development. Aussies scheduled to begin training this week in L.A."

Speaking after Philly's loss to the Hawks, Simmons was well aware that he hadn't been performing for his team and perhaps gave an initial indication of what his offseason plans were.

"I ain't shoot well from the line this series," he told ESPN.

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"Offensively, I wasn't there. I didn't do enough for my teammates. There's a lot of things that I need to work on.

"The first thing I'm going to do is clear my mind and get my mental right. You got to be mentally tough. You can't take games for granted. Especially in the playoffs. Every game matters. Every possession matters."

If 'clear his head' and 'get mentally right' means missing the Olympics, then that doesn't bode well for the Boomers and the Aussie fans.

One person who didn't show much sympathy for Simmons was Stephen A. Smith.

The ESPN talking head went to to town on the former No.1 overall pick, questioning his work ethic both on and off the court and labelling him "lazy".

"I think you put Ben Simmons in the gym. I'm gonna put this out here: I think it's an issue of work ethic. I really, really do," Stephen A. said.

"I'm not calling him lazy, I'm not trying to cast any aspersions on his character. He's a good kid, he cares, and he goes out there and I think that he's an elite player.

"But in the off-season, you can't tell me he's working on his jump shot. There's no way. When you won't even attempt them when you're playing for this team, you're clearly not working on it enough."

Topics: Basketball News, olympic games, Tokyo Olympics, NBA, Ben Simmons, Australia

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry