There is no problem with Ben Simmons
His weird supplemental role is working. He seems to have embraced it. What's the issue?
Jan 25 |
There is no problem with Ben SimmonsHis weird supplemental role is working. He seems to have embraced it. What's the issue?
Good morning. Let’s basketball. The Red Tower, Giorgio de Chirico The Philadelphia 76ers have the best record in the Eastern Conference at 12-5. Three primary factors contribute to this:
There are, of course, other factors: Tobias Harris has been better than ever under the familiar Doc Rivers, Seth Curry is shooting the lights out, other top East teams including Boston and Miami have been suffering from major COVID-19 and injury absences. One named not mentioned here is Ben Simmons, once the crown jewel of the franchise and a player who was reportedly just on the table in James Harden trade rumors. But really, Simmons is present in all of it. He is first team All Defense material again, his playmaking has helped Embiid, Harris and Curry score at high rates and he has subjugated his own scoring needs for the benefit of the team. Simmons has met with disappointing reviews this season because he’s shooting less than nine field goal attempts per game (a career low, by far) and averaging just 13 points per game (a career low, by far). He’s still not taking threes except when he absolutely must (five attempts on the season), and while he’s getting to the free throw more frequently than ever, he’s still below 70% on converting them. The disappointing reviews on Simmons stem from the reality that on offense Simmons is largely the same player he was as a rookie. (Sorry — no asterisk, Utahns.) We expect phenoms to develop and improve, and when they don’t there’s disappoint. That is understandable. We want more more more from the brightest young players. But the Sixers are winning, and this version of Simmons — as many assists as field goal attempts, high overall scoring efficiency, stellar defense — is a major contributing factor to the marquee and obvious excellence of Embiid and Harris. Embiid is an MVP candidate (perhaps a frontrunner) because Simmons is comfortable in a supporting role. Harris will potentially be an All-Star for the first time in his career because Simmons — a max player, a No. 1 pick, a Rookie of the Year, a two-time All-Star, an All-NBA player — is comfortable in a supporting role. Isn’t this what we want of our stars? To know how best to help their team succeed and accept whatever role that is? There is room, of course, for improvement, even if Simmons remains in this supplemental role. For one, the Sixers would benefit from Simmons being more aggressive when Embiid and/or Harris are on the bench. Simmons is at his best in the open court and attacking mismatches in the pick and roll or post. Philadelphia hasn’t had much success with Simmons on the floor and Embiid out (-47 in 147 minutes). It’s not much better when Simmons and Harris are both on the floor without Embiid (-19 in 72 minutes). (For the record, the Sixers are +111 in Embiid’s 442 minutes.) The tactic would be to unleash an overly aggressive Simmons in these moments — shake up the defenders a little, gas them, get Simmons to the cup or the line, apply serious pressure using Simmons’ athletic strengths. Simmons put a ton of pressure on the Celtics late in a Friday win. It felt important when watching it unfold: despite Embiid, Harris and Curry all having highly efficient nights, Simmons took over and made the win-clinching plays. Boston was without Jayson Tatum yet again, but stayed close enough to smell victory late … and then Simmons went aggro and finished off the C’s. ESPN’s Tim Bontemps also felt it an important moment and wrote about it:
Simmons is not so much a decoy; Doc moving him into the dunker spot on Harris, Curry and/or Embiid action does force the defense to guard him more actively than when Brett Brown stationed him in the corner while Embiid or, in a previous life, Jimmy Butler set up shop up top. This isn’t a decoy situation: it’s creating the space for Simmons to read the game and use his rare gifts to strike and counterstrike when appropriate and when needed. He’s almost like a not-so-secret weapon, hiding in plain sight, ready to deploy at any moment. So long as he’s comfortable with the working arrangement — he has embraced it, according to the quotes in Bontemps’ piece, and Doc really has a magnificent talent for building up the importance of supporting players — and so long as Embiid and Harris remain healthy and exceptional enough for this to all work, I don’t see the problem. The agitation to turn Simmons into something he’s not or move him for a more traditional lead guard regardless of the merits of such a move speaks to widely held discomfort with the abnormal. Simmons is abnormal. These Sixers, if they keep it up, would be an abnormal contender. But holding the past failures of this team — failures experienced with an inferior coach and their abnormal star in a less comfortable role, with their superstar never having played this well — against this version does not seem wise. Simmons is a fascinating, unorthodox player with a fascinating, unorthodox style, and it’s working for his team. What exactly is the problem? An Addendum on the Sixers and ContentionI’m really chuffed at the top of the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee is playing around with Giannis Antetokounmpo a little more than usual. Boston looks as good as they have since 2010 despite Jayson Tatum’s long absence due to COVID-19 and Kemba Walker’s late start. Brooklyn has a healthy Kevin Durant, an aggressive Kyrie Irving, a deferential James Harden and an ecstatic Joe Harris: what’s not to like? Just those three teams and Philadelphia, you can even leave out Miami and the blessed Pacers: what a collection of interesting, talented teams! I daresay it’s hardly a failure if you can’t escape that pod into the East finals. But at least two of these four teams will meet their demise no later than the second round. What a battle we’re in for. ScoresFridayNets 113, Cavaliers 125 — Cleveland did it again! Kevin Durant sat the rematch out, but Collin Sexton spun up Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn defense for a second time, finishing this one with 25 points, 9 assists and one turnover. Jarrett Allen had 19 off the bench and Taurean Prince scored 14. They still seem a little sore about being traded! Knicks 94, Kings 103 — Sacramento with a big stem-the-bleeding win and a strong defensive performance against an iffy offensive team. More importantly, this is a huge win in the nascent League Pass Cup as the Kings stay undefeated! SaturdaySixers 114, Pistons 110 — You know what? The Pistons fight hard every night. It usually doesn’t end up mattering, but these kids play hard. HOWEVER, ALSO, Mason Plumlee has fouled out of four straight games. How is that possible? Heat 124, Nets 128 — Superstar behavior from Bam Adebayo. James Harden is really leaning into the playmaker role. He had more assists than FGAs in this game! Pelicans 110, Timberwolves 120 — Bad loss for New Orleans. Now 5-10 and No. 14 in the West. Warriors 108, Jazz 127 — Utah keeps rolling (eight straigh wins). Meanwhile, Steph Curry passed his idol Reggie Miller for No. 2 all-time in made threes. Pretty sweet moment in the post-game press conference when Reggie and his son pop up to honor Steph. If he stays healthy, Steph should be approaching Ray Allen for No. 1 all-time towards the end of next season. And then he should set the new record pretty far out of reach! Rockets 133, Mavericks 108 — Helluva game for DeMarcus Cousins. Nuggets 120, Suns 112 — Big, big weekend sweep of the Suns for Denver with Nikola Jokic playing out of his mind and Phoenix falling just short both nights. The wins put the Nuggets above .500 for the first time this season — they are 9-7, in the No. 5 slot and seem to have it rolling. SundayCavaliers 103, Celtics 141 — Jaylen Brown with 33 points on 13/20 shooting in NINETEEN MINUTES AND FOURTEEN SECONDS. A new record for scoring in under 20 minutes in the shot clock era. For the season, he’s now averaging 27 per game (No. 6 in the NBA) shooting 53% from the floor and 43% from three. Even the biggest JB optimists like me couldn’t have seen this coming. Hornets 107, Magic 104 — Gordon Hayward for the win. Wizards 101, Spurs 121 — Washington plays for the first time in 13 days and … loses by 20. Bradley Beal is the NBA’s top scorer, though. Knicks 113, Blazers 116 — Dame Lillard played like an MVP but Immanuel Quickley should probably be starting over Elfrid Payton if Tom Thibodeau wants to make the playoffs, right? League Pass UpdateIt’s true, the Kings are now 2-0 and control their own destiny. The 1-loss Spurs jumped the Magic for second place on Sunday — three of the four West teams are having a strong showing here. LP Cup games are on the docket today, Wednesday and Friday as we approach the end of the first quarter of the season. ScheduleBusy Monday with 10 non-postponed games (the Grizzlies are still on ice), including an NBA TV doubleheader. All times Eastern, LP Cup games denoted with a 🏆. Sixers at Pistons, 7 LinksTop NBA defenders of the 2000s and early 2010s on what it was like to defend Kobe Bryant. I’ve been thinking about this after hearing it a couple places as well: the Bucks should use Giannis Antetokounmpo more like a big than a wing. The Miami Heat are planning to use virus-sniffing dogs to vet fans coming to watch the team. Alright. But what about just filling the stands with good pups? Kevin Pelton for ESPN Insider on why the Warriors’ starting five is so bad. ($) Lovely story from Marc Stein in the New York Times on Zach Randolph’s daughter MacKenly, who played for Kobe’s Mamba Academy team before tragedy struck last January. Curtis Harris on Kevin Porter, one of the purest passers the NBA has ever seen. Another awful weekend for the premier sneaker purchase app. Marc Spears on the Cavaliers’ young backcourt. Darius Soriano on LeBron continuing to defy conventional wisdom. Ricky O’Donnell’s Western Illinois dynasty continues apace. Kelly Dwyer on the ease of Kevin Durant and Anthony Edwards’ lack of respect from the officials. ($) T.J. McBride at 538 on Nikola Jokic’s season. Howard Bryant on Hank Aaron’s legacy. Be excellent to each other. You’re on the free list for Good Morning It's Basketball. For the full experience, become a paying subscriber. |
Wednesday, January 20, 2021
Kyrie is back, so let's discuss his absence.
Friday, January 15, 2021
The Rockets made some choices about how they want the next few season to play out, and there's lots of room for future regret.
Tuesday, January 12, 2021
A shockingly bad defense and boom-bust offense make every night weird in Kangzland.
Tuesday, January 5, 2021
Through two weeks, we've learned a few things, none of which make it look like the playoff races will be any less crowded than we thought before the season.
Wednesday, December 30, 2020
Washington has been good with Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal on the court together. The problem is everything else.
Friday, January 3, 2025
It's a live action battle now. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Thursday, January 2, 2025
Happy New Year! ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Wednesday, January 1, 2025
We're so grateful to have you in our community
Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Relive the most notable championship moments in sports from the last 12 months...
Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Artem Stepanov is one of the most talented young forwards in world football. The 17-year-old has already made his Champions League debut for Bayer Leverkusen, & is a future star of Ukrainian
Monday, December 30, 2024
Sacramento fires Mike Brown, leans into nostalgia and continues to lose games. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Sunday, December 29, 2024
Open this on your phone and click the button below: Add to podcast app
Thursday, December 26, 2024
The Team Needs Your Help to Stay on the Field in 2025...
Thursday, December 26, 2024
A gift from Silver Claus. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Wednesday, December 25, 2024
Ten teams get the honor of working on Christmas. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏