I’ll say what Doc Rivers won’t. Ben Simmons is not a championship point guard. The 76ers entered the playoffs as the top seed in the east and were bounced in Game 7 by the Hawks. Joel Embiid carried the squad, but a number two option was nowhere to be found.
You’d think Ben Simmons, the man they pay over 30 million dollars a year, could take some of the workload. Instead, when the moments got tough, he shied away and was rendered essentially useless on offense. In games 4-7, Simmons did not even attempt a single shot from the field. Missing shots is one issue. But not shooting is a wholly different concern. In Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Simmons acted as a 30 million dollar decoy that didn’t even do that well. Because when he isn’t even shooting, the defense no longer cues upon him.
After the disappointing loss, Doc Rivers was asked point-blank about Simmons’s abilities to be a cog on a championship team.
To which Rivers answered, “I don’t know the answer to that right now.”
That simple statement says it all. Now all of this seems harsh and a rash reaction to a talented top-seed losing to the fourth-seeded Hawks. However, this has been a concern for as long as Simmons has been in the league. Can he be the guy down the stretch? Now we all know Embiid is the leader, but he needs some help.
I’ll admit I have always given Simmons the benefit of the doubt. I wanted everyone to give up on him becoming a three-point shooter and to embrace his current abilities. There’s no doubt that his physical skills are that of a potential star. There’s also a reason he was selected first overall and is a three-time All-star. But the time for excuses is over. Since “the process” began, this is the best team Philadelphia has placed on the floor. It was time to get over the hump. But instead, arguably, their second-best option was simply nonexistent.
He was afraid to shoot the ball in a close game in the final moments. Joel Embiid alluded to it after the series.
“I don’t know how to say it – but I thought the turning point was we had an open shot, we missed, and we made one free throw.”
This refers to Simmons passing up a wide-open layup to Matisse Thybulle. Eventually, Thybulle went one for two at the line, and Embiid suggests this was the beginning of the collapse. Watching the playback, Simmons was uncovered, and all he needed to do was lay it in. Instead, he is losing out to the mental game. The question marks surrounding his game have gotten to him so much that it’s affecting his play on the court. In the biggest of moments, he gave the ball up.
I am one of the biggest defenders of Ben Simmons. I thought that the shooting woes weren’t a primary concern because that’s not the role he is expected to fill. But the natural ability conversation is over, and he hasn’t lived up to the expectations. The biggest concern is how poorly he shot from the free-throw line in the playoffs. We know this isn’t his strong suit, but the numbers point to an absolute collapse under pressure.
In the regular season, Ben Simmons shot 61% from the stripe. Not a great rate, but it was doable paired with his near triple-double capabilities. But when the spotlight was on in the postseason, he converted only 34% of his shots. That mark is the worst ever in NBA postseason history.
This season will stand as one of the greatest what if’s in recent memory for Philadelphia. And a lot of that rides on the shoulders of Ben Simmons. But now is the time to see what he is made of. Can he rise to the challenge, or is the spotlight too great for him? Throughout the series, he took accountability that he needs to play better. But now, words are not enough. This is the most critical offseason of his career and will be a turning point to his future years in the NBA.
This will determine if the 76ers choose to move forward and hope for improvement or pull the trigger and ship him out of town. Honestly, I hope it works out for Simmons in Philadelphia. But how he shrunk under pressure will not fly any longer. There are a lot of decisions to be made by the Philly brass. But to answer one question. No, the Ben Simmons we saw play against the Hawks will never be a championship point guard. Whether it’s a change of scenery or a severe development to his jump shot. He will never be at a championship-caliber without drastic changes.
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