After a disastrous 2018-19 season, the Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly considering trading Ben Simmons. The latest leaks from his camp prove that his shooting is the least of his problems.
After many officials of the Philadelphia 76ers organization expressed optimism about ending the dispute with holdout All-Star point guard Ben Simmons, members of his inner circle swiftly snuffed out such thoughts. Superstar Joel Embiid, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, and coach Doc Rivers are said to have had no effect on Simmons. The main line is that he is adamant about never donning the 76ers’ red, white, and blue.
Simmons bore the brunt of the criticism for Philadelphia’s collapse in Game 7 of last year’s playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks. In the series, he was atrocious, missing open shots late in games and shooting 33.3 percent from the line. But the most recent tidbit from his camp is the most surprising yet, raising the issue of who Ben Simmons can play alongside.
Despite the fact that Ben Simmons was not present at the media day events, he was by far the most talked about. It seems that the absence of All-Stars attracts everyone’s attention.
According to NBC Sports Philadelphia, Embiid was honest and cautious when asked about his views on the Simmons issue.
In answer to a query about what he would tell Simmons, Embiid replied, “Honestly, I would probably say, “I’m disappointed.” “Clearly, we haven’t achieved anything. I would look at it in terms of, look at what we’ve been able to accomplish, based on what’s been stated in the media and what you guys have tweeted about your sources and things.
“Obviously, we haven’t done anything in the (playoffs), and I must improve; everyone must improve. But we’ve been so terrific and dominating in the regular season that we know it’s working.”
Morey compared the scenario to the current Aaron Rodgers controversy with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League.
“I saw a guy lead his team to victory on Sunday night, and a thousand pounds of digital ink was poured on how much he would never play for that team again,” Morey added. “Look, every scenario is different, but we’re optimistic that we’ll be able to make it work here….” Ben is a fantastic player, and we anticipate him to return. We anticipate him joining the 76ers.”
Rivers may have added fuel to the fire by implying that Simmons is avoiding the famously tough Philadelphia fan base.
Ben Simmons’ inner circle claims the player’s feud with the Philadelphia 76ers is resolved.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK i2PzmVoo
After media day, The Athletic’s Sam Amick noted that sources close to Ben Simmons had two major points.
The first was the hollowness of Morey’s remarks.
A person acquainted with Simmons’ plans told Amick, “It’s complete bulls***.”
The larger message was about Simmons and Embiid’s four-year relationship. When partnered alongside Embiid, the point guard doesn’t think he can play the way he needs to. Simmons is adamant about the fit, according to the source:
“It has reached the end of its usefulness.”
However, if Simmons is unable to play alongside Embiid, one of the NBA’s most explosive offensive powers, it is doubtful that Simmons would find a home elsewhere.
Ben Simmons would want to see more driving lanes.
According to sources close to Ben Simmons, he no longer wants to play alongside Philadelphia 76ers great Joel Embiid. | Getty Images/Michael Reaves
While a source close to Ben Simmons informed Amick that the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up and the All-NBA big man had no personal problems. Simmons, on the other hand, claims that Embiid’s presence in the area has hampered his game.
Embiid, on the other hand, is far from a typical center. Last season, he shot 37.7% from three-point range, averaging three attempts per game. He also shoots from mid-range and beyond the arc more than half of the time. Yes, Embiid is a powerful finisher, converting 73.6 percent of his rim tries. However, it accounted for just 21.9 percent of his total shot selection.
Simmons is essentially stating that he has to be in a five-out system with the ball in his hands in order to drive and kick to shooters. This is a popular NBA pace-and-space approach. However, Simmons’ aversion to shooting from outside the rim adds to the complication.
In principle, driving and passing is a great tactic. When a defender can trail off Simmons, though, it’s far more difficult to achieve. Covering the shooters and forcing Simmons to beat you from midrange and beyond is the defensive approach.
Because he’s never shown that ability, it’s difficult to imagine a better match for him than in a system that includes Embiid as a contemporary big man and shooters like Danny Green and Tobias Harris.
That isn’t even addressing the problem of getting Ben Simmons anything close to a fair return.
Basketball Reference provided the statistics.
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