In 2016, Philadelphia 76ers fans were ecstatic when they landed the number one pick in the NBA draft, which they used to select Australian-LSU phenom Ben Simmons.
Five years later, and those cheers had turned to boos, as Simmons requested a trade from the team, following the brutal 4-1 second-round series loss to the Atlanta Hawks that was laid squarely at the point guard's feet.
Joel Embiid, his then teammate and future league MVP, noted in the post-game press conference that a play Simmons made - passing up an open dunk to a contested Matisse Thybulle - was the 'turning point' of the game, while then-coach Doc Rivers admitted he 'didn't know' if Simmons was a point guard you could win a championship with.
MORE: The biggest winners and losers from the In-Season Tournament
However, it seems that Embiid may have changed his tune on his former All-Star running mate; appearing on teammate Tyrese Maxey's podcast 'Maxey on the Mic', Embiid referred to Simmons as 'the one that got away', and defended the playstyle of the much-maligned player now with the Brooklyn Nets.
Embiid says Simmons didn't need jump shot
One of the biggest knocks on Ben Simmons throughout his career has been his unwillingness to score the basketball, compounded with his inability to make jump shots - he is 5-of-36 from 3 in his career.
But according to Embiid, he didn't think that this missing aspect mattered to Simmons' game and that he had everything he needed to be a threat on the court.
"I've always been one of those people that didn't believe that he didn't actually need a jumper," Embiid said.
"He was so good, he's just a monster, physically. Like someone who's freaking [six-foot-eleven], just running up and down the floor faster than whatever, almost as fast as [Maxey].
MORE: How Chicago's improved play impacts Zach LaVine trade rumors
"Think about it, 6-11, freaking jumping hard, guarding one-through-five, like a freaking monster.
"So I never believed that he actually needed the jumper, I just believed that if he could find a way to get his free throw [percentage] to 75, 80 percent, that would have changed everything.
"Because if you think about it, if you believe that he could make shots, what would he do? He would keep attacking, attacking, attacking, and never stopping. And then what would the defence have to do? He was already such a great playmaker, making the guy, the game, easy for everybody else."
Simmons, Harden... or Maxey?
Ben Simmons was infamously the first of two All-Star caliber guards who requested a trade from the 76ers - in fact it was his initial trade request that brought James Harden to Philadelphia before Harden himself wanted out.
It was a tough situation for Embiid and the 76ers, although arguably one they may have created themselves, but the silver lining has been the emergence of Tyrese Maxey, which Maxey himself acknowledged during the conversation.
"When Ben was here, I wasn't a part of offence, really, I didn't play with Ben that much. I was always coming in for him. You know what I'm saying? I played with [Dwight Howard]. So I never played with Ben," Maxey said.
"James was different for me as well. I also had never had the freedom to be on the ball like I am now. So I always played a role in those two, three years.
"You're the best player on the team, since you step foot in there. So me, when James came, I'm just like a role guy. I'm like, All right, look, I don't have no say so, it's year two for me. Let's be honest. I'm just happy to be here. You know what I'm saying? It was different for sure because of how he played, but hey, I want to play. You know me, I want to play."
