Does Ben Simmons Have A Future With The LA Clippers?

Does Ben Simmons Have A Future With The LA Clippers?

on today’s show is Ben Simmons worth keeping for the LA Clippers going to be talking about it all on today’s Locked On Clippers [Music] You are Locked on Clippers your daily Los Angeles Clippers podcast part of the Locked On podcast network Your team every day Yes sir you were locking in with the clips Thank you for making Locked on Clippers the first listen of your day Your team every day I’m your host Darian Vizeri Born and raised in LA Been a Clipper fan for 20 years Been covering the team for 5 years on my own YouTube channel Dimeropper in three years right here on the Lockdown Podcast Network Your team every day Make sure you subscribe on YouTube and hit the notification bell so you know every single time we post a video and follow us or listen wherever you get your podcasts in this episode which is brought to you by Game Time Game time is the best place to get great deals last minute on tickets Just download the Game Time app create an account and use code locked on NBA for $20 off your first purchase All right So in this episode we’re going to be talking about Ben Simmons and if he is worth keeping for your LA Clippers Now I’m going to be talking about what I think and then what he’s good at and what he’s not good at Now when we look at Ben Simmons current contract situation right now and you look at the Clippers payroll he is an unrestricted free agent Unrestricted So we can either let him walk we can bring him back How much is he going to be making how much is he going to demand how much is he really worth personally I don’t think he’s worth that much And I don’t think any team in their right mind is going to pay him that much with a statline last season in a total of 51 games which was his most since his all-star season in 2021 That’s he averaged for both teams So his combined stats five points a game five rebounds per game and six assists to go along with if you round up a steal and a block and two turnovers on 52% shooting and 73% from the free throw line Not bad Those aren’t terrible stats for a guy coming off the bench because you’re getting a good amount of everything there But my answer to this question about what we should do with Ben Simmons whether or not we should bring him back it really depends If we want to just be a good team let’s bring Ben Simmons back He offers a lot of size He gives us the ability to go small put him at the five against weaker teams of course I mean honestly he had some good moments against Nicola Joic defensively uh in games three the first three games really but he’s still not an answer against Joic However that’s the best center in the NBA What about other teams you know playing small being able to switch one through five That’s one thing that Tyoo really likes So he has that component He has a transition element to him that you know we don’t get with our starting lineup you know he really wants to push the ball up the court make a quick play kind of like Lonzo and we just don’t have many guys that want to play that way is the thing We’ve got Derrick Jones Jr that wants to get up and down We’ve got Air Coffee but he was kind of shunned out of the playoffs Norman Pal will get up and down usually for transition threes but James Kaw sometimes James definitely not Kawhai sometimes Zoo I mean he’s it’s not like he’s bad at running the floor but I wouldn’t put him like up there in the league with running the floor hard especially because we don’t play a fast-paced transition offense Chris Dunn wants to get out and run though So if we’re just He has that component but in the half court it can be rough In the playoffs let’s take a look He averaged eight minutes per game That’s really not much to go off of and didn’t even average one point It was point8 points per game and he shot 33% from the field Now the thing about Ben is yeah So if we want to be just a playoff team though I think that he can still be good There are some redeemable qualities there but if we’re trying to be a championship team nah I honestly think he I don’t know if he can be a rotation player on a championship team right now Maybe that’s just me being harsh but he doesn’t look at the basket And it’s not just that he doesn’t look at the basket It’s that when you have the ball in your hands that much and you’re I mean I think Ben Simmons has some offball value as a screener as a guy that can be in the dunker spot But the thing is we had a good amount of not great shooters around him which made his presence on the court a little bit tougher to have uh you know say Chris Dunn Derek Jones is eh and then of course Zoo is not a guy that’s going to stretch the floor The having Ben Simmons’s value is for him to be on the ball But somebody that’s primarily on ball that isn’t looking at the basket that’s going to hurt you at high levels And beyond that it’s not that he’s just not looking at the basket It’s that he’s not very confident in himself And when you look at the backup guards for the teams in the finals right now Kase Wallace Aaron Wiggins Isaiah Joe Benedict Mathan TJ McConnell they’re all very sure of who they are right now in this league Ben Simmons you just don’t know what you’re going to get in terms of his aggression level Some games he’s just looking to pass and screen but he’s not rolling with any conviction And when he gets the ball on the roll is he going to go up is he even a threat you know teams know he’s looking to pass It’s like a tall old Rondo Not the good Rondo but a tall old Rondo that we had you know but he’s tall so there’s some redeemable qualities there So my answer is this I’m okay with bringing Ben Simmons back It really just depends Do we want to be a championship contender because if so let him walk I think that’s just my opinion But if you want to be a good team maybe get to the conference finals Maybe Ben Simmons can be a part of that Ty Lou has done a good job with these you know guys that are looking like they’re on the way out No one wants them A full training camp with Ben It’s just what he wants to do is very different than what Harden wants to do Harden is a playmaking god Wants to slow it down get us a good shot in the half court Ben Simmons wants to get it up the floor and push because he’s not really a threat in the half court So he wants to catch teams off guard in transition And I think defense going to offense you know defense leading offense continuing to be a good defensive team will help Ben Simmons’s role in this team But coming up let’s talk more about what Ben Simmons is good at What does he bring to the table that we can even you know kind of piggy back off of this season and take into next season if we bring him back i got to tell you a little something about lollipop Lollipop is a new kind of soda made for people who love the classic taste of soda but want something that supports their health With just two and a half or sorry two to five gram of sugar and 9 g of prebiotic fiber in every can Lollipop is reimagining soda in a way that’s better for your gut Traditional sodas are loaded with sugar like 39 grams in a regular Coke or 44 grams in an orange Fanta Ollipop flips that script with just a fraction of the sugar no artificial sweeteners and gut friendly ingredients like Olly Smart a blend shown to support digestive and overall health It’s soda that tastes like the real thing but actually does something good for your body How does it feel cracking open a soda that actually supports your gut health with Olly Smart’s prebiotic blend get a free can of Lollipop Just buy any two cans in store and they’ll reimburse you for one Head to drinkllipop.com/lockton MBA to claim your free can and find Ollipop near you That’s drinklyollipop.com/lockedona All right so let’s talk about Ben Simmons and what he’s good at Well Ben Simmons is a tall guard When he came into the league there was a huge fascination about he’s like the next LeBron you know i mean he’s 611 He can handle the ball and he can pass he can rebound you know he’s a freight train in transition But the thing is he’s had a lot of injuries You know a lot of back injuries he it’s safe to say besides the injuries he had a little moment of a I would edit those coughs out but I think it was a perfect moment I don’t mean to be mean but there’s no doubt that that choke in 2021 against the Sixers I’m sorry against the Hawks was a moment where he lost confidence You know we always knew he wasn’t the best shooter but he was so aggressive getting to the basket He had some jump hooks around the rim You know I saw a highlight reel funny enough on Thursday I saw a highlight reel of Ben Simmons in the playoffs So I believe it was against the Nets in 2019 and he just looks like a completely different player You know what I mean that’s pre-injjuries but I still think he can do a lot of the things he used to do maybe at a slightly slower speed but he lost so much confidence when he missed that layup or didn’t shoot that layup against the Hawks and Philly just basically like bullied him out of town and you know he got super hurt about the way that Glenn Rivers handled things and then basically boycott and then he was traded for James Harden and now they’re on the same team But the thing with Ben Simmons brings to the table is pace you know if we want to play faster and we got to play a little faster if you want to actually be serious then he’s a good guy to have He’s going to push the ball He’s going to pass which makes it so that our offense is going to be more of a start with a pass offense which I like obviously for youth level it’s different I always say that you start an offense with a pass I have a personal story behind that But James Harden sometimes we come into it a possession and a lot of times we just get into our hive ball screen and we see what’s happening from that and then we you know the possession is dependent on what kind of read James Harden makes which is a different approach The James Harden way is a much more efficient way because Harden is that much better than Ben But but Ben does might be able to get other guys involved However it’s still dependent on guys that can put on the floor and create you know attack closeouts and create So the thing is Ben Simmons can’t I got to focus on what he’s good at Sorry So yeah fast break he’s really good there Rebounding not bad Obviously he’s big he’s tall in the regular season for us this season So I want to I want to talk about his stats with us He played 18 games averaged 16.4 minutes a game So 16 minutes a game He averaged three points four rebounds and three assists one steal and point4 blocks a game So but a lot less turnovers He averaged 2.7 in Brooklyn only8 with us But you know he averaged three four and three on 43% from the field Is that really worth keeping but here’s the thing stats aren’t everything And I’m one of the first to tell you that stats are not everything But those were his stats Those aren’t great But he does add that element to small ball And I kept saying it Now the thing is the Clipper fans that want Tailoo to go they don’t like small ball They’re tired of it Ben Simmons staying on the roster would give us more of that But it does what small ball does though when it’s run correctly and I think with Ben Simmons against teams that don’t have the best center in the league on the team or the best player in the league but he’s particularly a center We’re going to be able to have a lot of success with that because Ben Simmons is still a decent he’s a pretty he’s not a decent he’s a good defender He’s not what he was in 2021 where he was defensive player of the year caliber but he can move his feet pretty well and he’s really big and he has good hands in the passing lanes He’s long arms so and he can you know because of his mobility and his size he can guard a lot of different positions especially fives that don’t want to post up and take advantage of size So when it’s done right the reason why teams switch everything is because they don’t want to give teams an advantage on pick and rolls Because nowadays the advantages that you get on pick and rolls are more easily exploited than ever before because of the spacing of the lineups that we’re playing in the modern NBA and the amount of guys that are shooting the three ball and shooting it pretty well Um but even just guys that aren’t even shooting it well like Chris Dunn like throughout the season not every team is just like completely letting him shoot but teams know in the scouting report to let him However it makes the pass a lot easier for his teammates because you know when you’re stretching the defense that much it’s a lot easier to create open shots Gez what’s up with my voice i’m being a little By the way if you notice me being a seeming a little quieter I don’t know how it’s coming across You can tell me in the comments It’s because I’ve moved into a new place and my roommates go to sleep early so I’m trying to be like not super loud but don’t take that I’m not trying to be less energetic Um but anyway so in terms of finishing I mean let’s take a look at Ben Simmons’s finishing stats or shooting stats this season So when we look at his shooting this season for the Clippers he shot 45% within three feet So he shot less than 50% from within three feet of the bucket which is not very good for for reference In his career he shot 71% From inside the paint but for Brooklyn this current season he shot 65% So the sample size might not be very big I got to stop looking at the stats It’s not making my case better of what he’s good at So transition versatility on defense So when you switch everything you’re taking away the advantages on pick and rolls and you’re forcing teams to play more isolation So he’s good for that The thing is though with Ben and this is how he needs to be better He is 20 How old is this guy 28 years old He’s actually going to be Wow It’s his birthday next month So he’s going to be 29 next season For all of next season At 29 you should be in your prime Now Ben Simmons’ prime is always going to be 2021 but he can still be better than what he’s been the last couple seasons I’m not totally giving up on him I think maybe with a full season of Ty Lou he can get there but when I say get there I mean like averaging six four and four you know but good defense and being an impact player But what can he improve on it’s it’s really mental for me with Ben Simmons Like it’s mental and I don’t know what he’s you know the conversations that are being had behind closed doors and if he’s speaking to a sports psychologist he probably is and all that stuff but I think it seems like his back is fine He needs to just find confidence being aggressive I mean of course the c the copout answer is like bro get in the gym work on your shot I think you know it’s safe to say that some guys like shooting is definitely something you can practice and get better at but there are just some people that are born to be great shooters and some people that are born to not be able to shoot the basketball and Ben Simmons is just one of those unfortunately But he still has had decent touch around the rim at times So I would say lean into being more of a post player cuz his passing is good So if he catches the ball around the bucket against smaller guys because usually he’s going to have a smaller guy on him then he can be a threat scoring the ball just by catching it deep and then he can pass out of the post That would make him better You being used as a screener more The thing is Chris Dunn’s not a very good ball handler and decision maker at the NBA level It’s we’ve learned So it’s really Kawhi Leonard Bogey and Harden are the guys that we can screen for and really try to get a good look out of it that can make good reads But that’s still plenty of guys I just named So being able to be used more as a screener I think having a 611 guy going downhill that can pass the ball on the role is very advantageous And then you know I guess just finishing better He can finish better but you have to be aggressive You have to look at the basket You have to be a threat to score If he can be a threat to score given you know our defense is still going to be good If we keep the team largely together we can get out and run and that’s going to make him better You know he’ll push the ball up the floor you’ll really try to get the ball moving And maybe the key to having more ball movement ccentric offense is Ben Simmons playing more That is something that BJ said when he came on the show It’s just that I didn’t think that was the go-to for the playoffs based on the evidence that we had of you know what Ben Simmons did versus James Harden did I would definitely lean more into Harden But maybe the key to resting Harden more is letting Ben Simmons kind of have a unit where he comes off the bench and really pushes pace and plays a completely different game than our starters I think that’s the best case for Ben So overall Ben Simmons what he brings is a transition element a small ball element a size element another good defender someone that can screen and roll someone that can take the ball of James Harden’s hands So there’s a lot of good things there How can he get better at some of those things a lot of it’s confidence Confidence to go up strong to keep being aggressive looking to be a threat on the floor maybe catching in the post screening even more But what are the limitations with Ben what’s making me say “Ah I don’t really want him He can’t you know if we’re talking championship no way.” Let’s talk about that coming up I got to tell you a little something about game time There’s nothing like the NBA playoffs I’ve had the privilege of being at four game sevens Clippers are three- one in those Obviously all Clipper games three- one in those and the intensity the Chris Paul buzzer beater against the Spurs are like the gamewinner Those are some of the best memories of my life And if you want in on that kind of action game time makes it fast and easy to get seats even for the biggest playoff games Prices on the app actually drop closer to tip off And with killer lastminute deals panoramic seat views and no surprise fees game time is a total game changer I was just on the app and zone deals We’re offering 10% off exclusive zone deals for FIFA Club World Cup matchups and this is the first of what’s going to be a totally different format with the Club Club World Cup that’s going to have like teams like the LAFC or LA Galaxy or teams like LAFC and LA Galaxy playing against teams like Chelsea or Arsenal or PSG So it’s going to be a whole thing and it is a whole thing if you’re checking it out now And Game Time makes scoring NFL tickets just as easy and the schedule just dropped You’ll find great seats for as low as $100 thanks to exclusive discounts Take the guesswork out of buying tickets with Game Time Download the Game Time app create an account and use code lock NBA for $20 off your first purchase Terms apply Again create an account and redeem code Loca for $20 off Download the Game Time app today Last minute tickets lowest price guaranteed All right So let’s talk about what I’m scared of with Ben See for me the game is all about confidence You know that is something that I at times lacked as a player growing up And it’s I think was partially because I didn’t have someone that always was there telling me you know you’re good I believe in you This and that you know my parents were you know like foreigners They weren’t in the basketball scene So like they were just they weren’t giving me advice on that kind of stuff outside of like the basics So and I didn’t have a consistent coach that was there That’s part of why I coach But in the T in Tyoo’s case you know I don’t think he’s a guy that see this is the thing I’m not in the locker room I’m not in the locker room But Tyoo never struck me as a guy that didn’t give his guys confidence That’s all I have to say Because he had Reggie Jackson feeling too confident He had Marcus Morris feeling confident He had Paul George playing some of the best basketball of his career He had Nico Batum revived He had John Wall John Wall’s problem wasn’t what’s it called lack of confidence He was too confident He was doing too much Luke Canard is the one player I can say where it felt like Tyoo kind of hindered him Terrence man to some degree as well Ben Simmons I don’t know He didn’t Let’s When you look and look deep at the series right the playoffs this past season Ben Simmons in game one played 13 minutes didn’t score but he was a plus five I remember I liked his impact in those 13 minutes but we lost the game The next game he played just seven minutes He was an even plus minus but we won the game and he and then the third game he got nine minutes and he had that well he didn’t score totally forgot about that but he was a plus nine I remember his impact being good though in that game and then game four he played just 6 minutes and 53 seconds which is nothing you could argue he deserved a little more time but in game four we didn’t have much room for error And he got four fouls in seven minutes Like what and then game Oh he didn’t even play in game six and seven That’s crazy He got totally bench I kept saying though after game five I was like he’s not offering anything He had a donut across the board with one rebound and one block but it was only five minutes I mean you can make the argument he could have played more I just don’t think we saw enough good stuff Look at the stats I listed in the in the regular season And I’m not a stats guy but I’m telling you right now he’s not looking at the basket So teams let’s run pick and rolls with him everyone’s going to go under the screen He’s not going downhill with any kind of conviction And his defense was like his urgency though sometimes like in the playoffs there was I think it was game five his urgency defensively and at times in transition was appalling It’s like I just question how much he really loves this play basketball Like I really do And I hate saying that as a podcast host that’s not in the league and all that but I genuinely I’m not the first to say it cuz I don’t know he his body language and his effort level in the playoffs at times in that series was I don’t I didn’t blame Tailoo for what he did I really don’t But I understand some people think that he deserves more time Maybe Tailoo hurt his confidence Maybe I was wrong You know I I just advocated again I defended Tailoo by saying just now that uh I don’t think he’s the I don’t see him as the kind of guy that like will kill a player’s confidence outside of like maybe Luke Canard Terence Man sometimes but you never know Maybe he hurt Ben Simmons confidence but I was saying this about Ben Simmons with his confidence level before he even put on the Clipper uniform So I don’t think it’s a Tyloo thing but let me know what you guys think in the comments cuz what he’s not good at is obviously he’s not good at shooting It’s a lack of aggression He’s a good passer He is a good passer but it’s you know you sometimes need to create an offensive advantage to have a you know pass that’s there Otherwise it’s just you know you’re passing and you know you’re just passing the ball to pass it Uh which I like as well because it gets the ball moving But you know he needs to be a threat as well in terms of since we have some time before the episode ends In terms of So my my final verdict is I’m indifferent If we want to win a championship though I would not put the I’m I’m done taking chances on Ben Simmons man Like I’m done with it Like everyone’s like “Oh maybe Ben Simmons can do it this season.” Like dude he’s just cooked Like but maybe I’m wrong And I’m okay I’m down to be wrong I’m totally okay with rooting for him I really am I want him to be good and play well But I’m not tripping honestly Let Bogey run that second unit just let him be the backup point guard because then we have Chris Dunn off the bench because I want to get a power forward So then we have our back court Now let’s fill it with fill it up with a backup center We have Nico off the bench and uh what’s airir coffee is not coming back He’s probably offended about the whole playoffs thing especially because he’s a homegrown guy But the reason why I don’t like no pass possessions I’ve probably told this story a bunch of times but one time I was being coached by Adam Keefe from the Utah Jazz 97 and I came out the court were playing at 23 They’re playing they’re playing against a two-3 zone This was in wreck league Two-3 zone I was playing with his son and they were the two- three was falling asleep I came up the court I was the point guard and I just jacked a three Like I was just like they’re not guarding me Like I’m going to pull up and I missed And he came back He pulled me aside and he was like “Darian if John Stockton ever took a shot like that coming up the court making your teammates just do cardio.” I don’t think he didn’t say those exact words He was saying you basically just made four of your teammates walk up the court to watch you miss None of them touch the ball and you’re the supposed to be the point guard He said if John if Jerry Sloan if John Stockton ever did that Jerry Stone would have ripped his head off I’ve never ever seen one pass possession the same after that because he made a valid point I’m coming up the court and no one’s touching the ball They’re just doing cardio to watch me brick And it’s like if we’re going to brick we might as well get more guys touching the ball And it’s not the NBA where you’re trying to get them generate as many good threes as possible And I know I was I was like 13 years old So like it’s not a good shot by any means because I’m pulling up for three because I had you know confidence in my jump shot But that never I’m really appreciative of Adam Coach Adam for saying that because it’s never made me it’s always made me view the one the no pass possession as like a terrible thing unless it’s transition And even when it goes in I don’t like the process because it is real Like the ball has a a rhyth you know there’s a there’s a rhythm to it Like touching the ball feels good You know what I mean and you can really go cold standing around There’s a lot of standing around and watching and a lot of offenses today including ours And you know that’s why I say with that 2018 game seven like yes the Warriors had more talent but when the ball was moving I knew some of those threes were going in before it left their hands Whereas the Rockets when they were standing around waiting and and Harden would still create a bunch of good shots for them I just was like the weight of the world feels like he’s on these shots for Ariza and Gordon and all these guys and with the Warriors the ball’s moving they’re moving It’s just like there’s a there’s an energy to the ball and there’s a feel to it and the rhythm It’s a real thing So you know I’m always in favor of ball movement It’s why I view the game the way I do It’s like again it’s all I say is like it’s not a hate of any guy or any style I mean it is a hate of a style but not of any guy you know it’s there are things that have happened in in my journey of basketball playing and there and I think everybody just needs to kind of realize that is everybody has their own experience with whether you’re a basketball fan through playing or watching that formulate what you believe is your basketball lens Now I speak about this like it’s religion or like a college chorus because I love this with my yikes didn’t mean to cuss but I love this with like all my heart and soul Like you know what I did today club practice then I’m on this mic And you know so much of my life revolves around hoops you know calling parents about their kids and their skills and whatever So like I dedicate my life to this game because it’s given me so much It’s made a lot of friends for me and done so much for me And you know I always emphasize to people that like yes I am a Clipper fan and I love this team I bleed red white and blue America but I bleed red white and blue By the way happy Junth I wanted to make sure I included that as well Um I bleed red white and blue for the Clippers but I’m a basketball fan first I don’t like basketball because the Clippers I like the Clippers because I love basketball So that’s that is why I give the Celtics and Lakers legends props and stuff like that You know I’m I am just respectful of the people that built our game and of course those two franchises Even though I’ve lived with Celtics fans and I’ve been around Laker fans my whole life and I don’t want them to win because they’re so annoying about it and they’ve won enough Like who am I as a basketball lover to not respect Bill Russell and Larry Bird and Kobe and Magic and Kareem and Will Chamberlain and Koozie and all the guys that built the game you know i’m just that you can’t tell the story without them So that’s my whole thing And when you look at the dynasties they’re mostly ball movement not stagnant like the way we play Is that a personnel issue is that a coaching issue is that both we’ve talked about that at length Ben Simmons do you want him back let me know in the comments You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at dimedropper pod Subscribe to my own YouTube channel Dimeropper for even more LA Clipper and LA sports content And Locked on Clippers is free and available wherever you get your podcast including YouTube Make sure you subscribe and hit the notification bell to get to 8,000 subscribers The age-old proverb continues Go Clippers

Ben Simmons’ future with the LA Clippers hangs in the balance. Is the former All-Star worth keeping, or has his time in the NBA run its course?

Die hard Los Angeles Clippers fan and Host Darian Vaziri breaks down Simmons’ contract situation, underwhelming stats, and potential value to the team. The analysis covers Simmons’ strengths, including his size and defensive versatility, as well as his glaring weaknesses in shooting and offensive aggression. Vaziri examines Simmons’ playoff performance and questions his fit on a championship-contending roster.

Tune in for an in-depth look at whether the Clippers should take another chance on Ben Simmons or move on in their pursuit of an NBA title.

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOClippers?sid=YouTube

Locked On NBA League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, WNBA & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNBA

#Clippers #LosAngelesClippers #NBA #KawhiLeonard #PaulGeorge

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
OLIPOPGet a free can of OLIPOP! Just buy any two cans in store and they’ll reimburse you for one. Head to drinkolipop.com/LOCKEDONNBA to claim your free can and find OLIPOP near you. 
CarGurusBuy or sell your next car today with CarGurus at CarGurus.com to make sure your big deal is the best deal. 
WayFairGive your home the refresh it needs with Wayfair. Head to Wayfair.com right now. Wayfair. Every style. Every home. 
Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNBA at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year
GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.
FanDuelRight now, new customers can get TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in BONUS BETS when your first FIVE DOLLAR BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA.
FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)