For the second time in three seasons, the Philadelphia 76ers fell a game short of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals. But this postseason exit felt different...
In any negotiation, including NBA trade talks, it's often a good idea to start the conversation by saying you couldn't possibly part with the suitor's target. Not in a million years...
This was supposed to be the breakout season for the Philadelphia 76ers. They had tantalized with talent before, but this group was different...
Windhorst: Ben Simmons Would Draw 'A Lot of Interest' If 76ers Attempt to Trade Star
Jun 22, 2021
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 20: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers handles the ball against the Atlanta Hawks during Round 2, Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs on June 20, 2021 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
Questions revolving around the Philadelphia 76ers and forward Ben Simmons are going to circulate all summer long after his poor performance in the Eastern Conference Semifinals loss vs. the Atlanta Hawks.
Can he ever truly complement Joel Embiid? Will he ever develop a jump shot, or even attempt to do so? Does he simply need a change of scenery, where he can perhaps regain his confidence and join a team that will build around his strengths? How likely is he to be traded?
Per that last question, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Tuesday that there will be a market for his services during an appearance on SportsCenter (2:45 mark):
In talking to executives around the league, there's a lot of interest in Ben Simmons. If he was made available on the market today, there would be maybe up to a dozen teams would make offers. But it's the quality of those offers that Daryl Morey is going to have to worry about, and he's going to have to be very careful with his behind-the-scenes moves and his public statements, not to show that hand and potentially give away what their position is going to be."
Simmons became the focal point of Philly's 103-96 loss in Game 7 after he bypassed a dunk opportunity in the fourth quarter in favor of passing the ball to Matisse Thybulle, who was fouled and subsequently made just one of two free throws. And who was the looming defender under the basket that Simmons didn't challenge?
For the entire series, Simmons attempted just three shots in the fourth quarter, a shockingly low number. After Game 7, neither MVP runner-up Joel Embiid nor Sixers head coach Doc Rivers exactly jumped at the chance to defend the beleaguered forward:
"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."
Rivers would go on to add Monday that he believes the team has a plan in place to improve Simmons' game, namely as a shooter:
#Sixers coach Rivers: 'I believe we know what the right work is and the right way to do it (with Ben Simmons this off-season). After being here for a year, I believe we have identified the what and how. ... We're not hiding that Ben has to be a more confident free throw shooter.'
That, of course, is assuming Simmons is even a Sixer next season. It's fair to argue that he'll simply never be a great fit next to Embiid, and maximizing the prime of the superstar center should be the top priority in Philly.
The counterargument is that Simmons' trade value may never be lower than what it is right now. It's hard to imagine the Sixers getting a bonafide star in return for the 24-year-old.
Simmons remains one of the most polarizing players in the game. His strengths are profound: He's a visionary passer (7.7 APG in his career), especially in transition, where he attacks the basket with vigor and kicks out to the perimeter to open shooters. He's arguably the best defensive player in the game, capable of defending 1-4 at an elite level and even opposing centers in a pinch. He regularly locks down an opponent's best offensive threat. And his combination of size, speed, athleticism and strength is rare.
But his major weakness is equally as profound: He's not only a bad shooter, he's basically unwilling to even attempt the rare jumper.
He was so bad from the free-throw line in the postseason (34.2 percent) that both the Washington Wizards and Hawks employed the "hack-a-Ben" strategy to put him on the line. In turn, he completely abandoned any aggression attacking the basket, ostensibly fearing the possibility he'd be fouled. In the latter stages of the series against Atlanta he essentially just stood in the dunker spot, making it easy for the Hawks to double Embiid without fear of Simmons contributing, well, anything on offense. For some key offensive series late in games, Rivers even subbed him out.
He'll never be a true star without a willingness to take the occasional jump shot and attack the basket. But perhaps on a team loaded with perimeter shooters that doesn't want to play through an elite post option like Embiid, Simmons would be far more effective, opening up driving lanes for easier opportunities at the rim.
There will be a market. Some general manager will believe his organization can get the most out of Simmons. It just remains to be seen if Morey gets anywhere close to the return he's hoping for in the process.
Windhorst: Joel Embiid 'The Wild Card' on Ben Simmons' 76ers Future, Possible Trade
Jun 22, 2021
Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid (21) and Ben Simmons are seen during an NBA basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)
Following a disappointing second-round playoff exit, the Philadelphia 76ers' future is uncertain heading into the offseason.
Appearing on Get Up, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported that Joel Embiid could be "the wild card" in any potential trade talks the Sixers have involving Ben Simmons:
"There's going to be a huge demand for (Simmons), but not at the value of an All-Star under a four-year guaranteed no-out contract. So that's really the challenge and the wild card here; Joel Embiid is due a contract extension this offseason, and if the 76ers ask his opinion on this, how he decides to answer that question could determine the next step with Ben Simmons."
After Philadelphia's 103-96 loss to the Atlanta Hawks in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Sunday at home, Simmons' future with the organization became a hot topic.
Head coach Doc Rivers was asked during his postgame press conference if he thought Simmons could be the starting point guard for a championship team, and he replied:
"I don't know the answer to that question right now."
Doc Rivers on if Ben Simmons can be the point guard on a championship team https://t.co/JPR3xAQj9B
Despite not calling Simmons out by name, Embiid did criticize his teammate for passing up a wide-open look in the fourth quarter.
"I mean, I'll be honest. I thought the turning point was when we—I don't know how to say it— but I thought the turning point was just we had an open shot and we made one free throw and we missed the other and then they came down and scored," Embiid said.
Trailing 88-86 with 3:30 remaining, Simmons got around Danilo Gallinari with Trae Young the only Hawks players close to him. Instead of attempting a layup or dunk, he passed the ball to Matisse Thybulle with two Hawks defenders in front of him.
Thybulle was fouled on the play, but he only converted one of two free throws. Clint Capela scored on an alley-oop dunk for the Hawks on their next possession to extend the lead to 90-87.
Simmons finished the game with five points on 2-of-4 shooting. He only attempted three field goals in the fourth quarter in the entire series, including zero from Games 4-7, and went 15-of-45 from the free-throw line.
The Sixers went an Eastern Conference-best 49-23 during the regular season, but Simmons in particular had a series to forget versus the Hawks. Embiid is the face of the franchise, and if he doesn't think Simmons is the right point guard to help this franchise win a title, it makes sense to consider moving him.
Report: Monty Williams Believed Ben Simmons Was 'Scared of Looking Bad' as a Shooter
Jun 21, 2021
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 20: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers handles the ball against the Atlanta Hawks during Round 2, Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs on June 20, 2021 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
Ben Simmons' reluctance to shoot has been a storyline for his entire career. But it became a season-changing problem on Sunday night when he passed up a wide-open layup in the Philadelphia 76ers 103-96 loss to the Atlanta Hawks in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Joel Embiid: "I'll be honest. I thought the turning point was when we — I don't know how to say it — is when we had an open shot and we made one free throw..."
Translation: When Ben Simmons had a wide open dunk and passed it up because he didn’t want to go to the line.
The question has always been why, exactly, Simmons just doesn't want to shoot. Former Philadelphia 76ers assistant and current Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams reportedly had one theory, per Yaron Weitzman of Fox Sports:
Williams, who worked closely with Simmons while serving as an assistant to Brett Brown for one season, hypothesized to friends that Simmons was scared of looking bad. Management under Bryan Colangelo even discussed having Simmons switch his shooting hand from left to right, which serves as his dominant hand in every other facet of his life.
Multiple theories abound. There's the "he shoots with the wrong hand" theory. The "he helps the team in so many other ways so he doesn't want to force up bad shots" theory. And now the "he doesn't want to look bad" theory.
There's probably some truth in all three. Whatever the reason, that reluctance to shoot—especially in the fourth quarter of playoff games, where he attempted just three shots in the entire series vs. the Hawks—is a huge reason why the top-seed Sixers are now on vacation.
76ers Trade Rumors: 'Consensus' Thinks Morey Wants Bigger Star Than Kyle Lowry
Jun 21, 2021
ORLANDO, FL - JULY 23: Daryl Morey, GM of the Houston Rockets, talks on the phone during practice as part of the NBA Restart 2020 on July 23, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2020 NBAE (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)
The top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers were upset by the Atlanta Hawks in Game 7 of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals Sunday night, leading to all sorts of questions being asked about the team in the aftermath.
Does Ben Simmons have a future in Philadelphia after being a non-factor on offense this postseason? What about head coach Doc Rivers' future after he failed to get another team past the second round? Just how big is the team's contending window with Joel Embiid given his injury history? And why didn't president of basketball operations Daryl Morey make a bigger splash at the trade deadline to address some of the team's deficiencies?
That last question likely comes down to why Morey didn't push harder for one player in particular, Kyle Lowry. Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer went into more depth on the subject Monday:
Opinions differ on Philadelphia’s decision not to pursue Lowry harder, but there is a consensus around the league that Morey resisted because he’s angling for an even greater star. He’s thinking about stars like Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal becoming available. CJ McCollum or Zach LaVine could also appeal to Philadelphia if they are put on the table.
Morey may have been hesitant to pull the trigger on a Lowry deal during the season for any number of reasons—another consideration is that Lowry is set to be a free agent and potentially could be acquired without giving up any talented young players like Tyrese Maxey or Matisse Thybulle—but there's no question that he would have addressed several major needs for the Sixers.
Outside of Embiid, the Sixers didn't have anybody in the postseason who could consistently create their own shot. The offense often bogged down because Simmons' man would help off him to jam the lane or double Embiid, leaving the big man to create his own offense by receiving the ball on the perimeter.
Having a true point guard to run the pick-and-roll with Embiid would have opened up the halfcourt offense in a hugely needed way. Simmons is often called the point guard in Philly, and when the Sixers are running in transition he fits the label, barrelling down hill for layups or passes to open teammates on the perimeter.
But his offensive contribution later in the Atlanta series while the team was in its halfcourt offense was to dribble the ball to about the three-point line, job over to the dunker's spot and... just sort of stand there.
Ben Simmons only attempted 3 shots in the 4th quarter in the 7 game series
Only other starting point guard for 7 game series in NBA playoffs over the last 25 years with that few attempts
If Simmons is your de facto power forward, that role isn't ideal but you can work around it. But you can't win in the playoffs with your primary facilitator basically disappearing from the halfcourt offense.
Lowry may be a Sixer yet. Simmons probably won't be a Sixer for much longer. But it's fair to question if the team might be in the Eastern Conference Finals right now if Morey had pulled the trigger on a Lowry trade.
The Philadelphia 76ers were in the thick of the NBA championship race—if not leading it—until they weren't...
It's Ultimatum Time for Philadelphia Sixers and Ben Simmons
Jun 21, 2021
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 16: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers warms up prior to a game against the Atlanta Hawks during Round 2, Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs on June 16, 2021 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
The East's top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers are headed home after a 103-96 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, and the early exit will certainly bring back some variation of the years-old debate about the fit between Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
For the latter, it's time to either adjust or be traded. Embiid is 27 years old, and his injury history suggests Philadelphia's contention window could close in an instant. The Sixers can't afford many more playoff runs in which opponents can almost ignore the starting point guard.
In Sunday's Game 7, the 6'11" playmaker with perennial All-Defense potential was 2-of-4 from the field and 1-of-2 from the line. He had 13 assists, but his aversion to scoring allowed the Hawks to focus more attention on the other four Sixers.
Embiid, meanwhile, had 31 points on 11-of-21 shooting, 11 rebounds and a crippling eight turnovers. When he has the ball, opposing defenses, including Atlanta's, can pressure him in a way they might not be able to if he played with a floor-spacing 1.
When asked about the future, specifically whether Simmons can be a championship-level point guard, coach Doc Rivers added fuel to the fire:
Doc Rivers answers a question whether Ben Simmons can be the point guard of a championship team pic.twitter.com/8xL35u98RC
Demanding for Philadelphia's front office to break these two up based simply on the result of this game and series is overly reductive, though. The decision to move on from this duo is far from a no-brainer, thanks mostly to the uniqueness of Simmons.
He has become one of the NBA's trickiest subjects for analysis. His raw production has been absurd. Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson are the only players in NBA history who matched or exceeded Simmons' totals for rebounds and assists through their first 275 career games.
In his age-24 season, he's already a three-time All-Star and a Defensive Player of the Year finalist. With his ability to guard 1-5, it looks like he'll be a perennial contender for All-Defensive selections.
And his combination of size (6'11", 240 lbs), speed, vision and passing ability make him one of the game's truly unique playmakers. Against regular-season defenses (and, on occasion, playoff ones too), he can pick apart the opposition.
The off-the-cuff "he can't play with Embiid" or "he can't play in the playoffs" takes probably don't give enough credence to all of the above. Philadelphia's net points per 100 possessions is significantly better when the pair are on the floor together (and that's true in both the regular season and the playoffs).
But there are times, particularly in this most recent series against the Hawks, when Simmons appears to be a square peg in a round hole.
For the 2021 playoffs, Philadelphia was plus-12.9 points per 100 possessions when Simmons played and minus-7.9 when he sat (giving him a massive plus-20.8 net rating swing). In fourth quarters, though, that swing plummeted to minus-0.8.
In those important moments, Simmons becomes a ghost. He didn't attempt a single field goal in the fourth quarters of Games 2, 4, 5, 6 or 7, including passing up what looked to be a wide-open dunk with three-and-a-half minutes left in Game 7.
Joel Embiid: "I'll be honest. I thought the turning point was when we — I don't know how to say it — is when we had an open shot and we made one free throw..."
And defenses clearly know they don't have to pay attention to him (unless they're employing the hack-a-Ben strategy, which is a whole different problem).
Forget three-point shooting—Simmons doesn't even have a mid-range or floater game. And defenders being able to sag 10-15 feet off him, whether he has the ball or not, makes spacing a nightmare for Embiid and every other Sixer on the floor.
Philadelphia has done everything it can to work around Simmons' aversion to shooting. It acquired spacers in Seth Curry and Danny Green this offseason (both of whom were good moves then and now). And it's had Embiid work from the perimeter perhaps a bit more than he would with a floor-spacing 1.
"The idea that Joel is stretching his game out to accommodate a dude who is way worse than him instead of the other way around, that's crazy," The Ringer's Wosny Lambre said on The Bill Simmons Podcast. "That would be like if LeBron [James] was accommodating Kyle Kuzma."
As far as analogies go, that's probably on the extreme end of the spectrum. Simmons is significantly better than Kuzma, and Embiid is not LeBron. But the point rings true.
Over the course of his career, Simmons has shown no improvement to the biggest flaw in his game. In his first season, he was 70-of-230 (30.4 percent) on shots from 10 feet and out. That's bad, but it was at least a hint that he was trying. Over his next three seasons, he's a combined 51-of-197 (25.9 percent) from that range.
His free-throw percentage has hovered around his career 59.7 mark for all four seasons too. There's no trend in the right direction, and his struggles there this postseason (in which he went 25-of-73 from the line) are alarming.
With a minimum of 70 attempts, Ben Simmons' 34.2% free throw percentage this postseason is the worst in a postseason in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/G12fiDSXVN
Those issues are understandably under a microscope after losing a series like this. Philadelphia was the No. 1 seed. Atlanta is an upstart. And giving up an 18-point lead in Game 4, followed by a 26-point lead in Game 5, doesn't help either.
Ultimately losing the series brings us back to the two options up top: an adjustment from Simmons or a trade by the front office.
If that means Simmons devotes himself to adding a jump shot (and the confidence required to take it), great. Otherwise, moving him for someone who fits better with Embiid should be a priority.
The idea of a swap built around Simmons and Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum has long been a pipe dream of this writer, and it may make more sense now than it ever has.
The Blazers might also be at an organizational crossroads after losing to a Denver Nuggets squad that didn't have Jamal Murray and parting ways with head coach Terry Stotts soon after.
Simmons potentially serving as a bigger, bouncier version of Draymond Green could make Portland something of a Golden State Warriors facsimile, with Damian Lillard playing the Stephen Curry role.
Jusuf Nurkic has dipped his toe in the floor-spacing game (he was 12-of-30 from three in 2020-21), so the Blazers could conceivably surround Simmons with enough shooting to offset his refusal to put them up.
He'd instantly be the best defender Portland has had in years too.
For Philadelphia, McCollum is older, smaller (6'3", 190 lbs) and perhaps possesses a bit less raw talent, but it's hard to not be intrigued by the fit. The 29-year-old took 8.9 threes per game this season and hit 40.2 percent of those attempts. He has plenty of experience running point after years as a pseudo-backup to Lillard.
With him, Curry, Green and Tobias Harris outside, defenses would be in a terrible pick-your-poison scenario. Do we double Embiid and get killed from the outside, or do we stay home and let Embiid dominate the post?
The details may need some hashing out, but the general framework on a Simmons-McCollum swap makes sense for both sides.
If that isn't on the table, 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey almost certainly needs to look around the league for other options. And his history as an executive shows he's probably willing to do that.
If that exploration doesn't lead to any good deals, Philadelphia might have to run it back. Again, there is evidence to suggest Simmons and Embiid can work together. But something has to give. Because in the biggest moments, it doesn't look like the pair will work together.
Joel Embiid Says Ben Simmons Play Was Start of Turning Point in 76ers' Game 7 Loss
Jun 21, 2021
Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid plays during Game 7 in a second-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks, Sunday, June 20, 2021, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid offered what appeared to be, at least in part, a critique of teammate Ben Simmons following Sunday's 103-96 defeat to the Atlanta Hawks.
"I'll be honest," he told reporters. "I thought the turning point was when we—I don't know how to say it—but I thought the turning point was just we had an open shot and we made one free throw and we missed the other and then they came down and scored.
"We didn't get a good possession on the other end and Trae came back and he made a three and then from there down four, it's on me. I turned the ball over and tried to make something happen from the perimeter. But I thought that was the turning point."
"I'll be honest, I thought the turning point was when we—I don't know how to say it—but I thought the turning point was just we had an open shot and we made one free throw."
The Sixers trailed by two points with 3:30 left in the fourth quarter when Simmons turned down a scoring opportunity inside and passed the ball to Matisse Thybulle. Thybulle was fouled and made one of his two free throws.
Embiid didn't make it explicitly clear that's the moment he was referencing, but that's likely what many will infer from his comments.
A clear sign of how bad things might get for the Sixers, he wasn't even the only member of the team to offer a less than ringing endorsement of Simmons. Asked whether the 6'11" playmaker can be the point guard for a championship team, head coach Doc Rivers didn't have an answer.
"I don't know the answer to that question right now."
Doc Rivers on if Ben Simmons can be the point guard on a championship team https://t.co/JPR3xAQj9B
Whether fair or not, the dunk-that-wasn't and pass off to Thybulle reinforced what Simmons' critics have been saying for a long time.
For whatever reason, the 24-year-old seems unwilling or unable to be more of a scorer. Thirty-one points is his career high in a playoff game and he has eclipsed 20 points just four times. He's not going to take things over in the way a lot of the top stars can in crunch time.
Perhaps that wouldn't be as much of an issue if he didn't play on a team where the No. 1 scoring option is at his best when operating inside. The questions about the Embiid/Simmons partnership have lingered for years.
Emotions are understandably high after a defeat like this, yet one has to wonder whether the Sixers have crossed the Rubicon. There might not be a way to come back from this.
A couple more interviews tonight a d the Sixers will have to attach multiple first rounds to trade Ben Simmons.
Pretty clear at least his coach and Joel Embiid are out.
Simmons is already getting questions related to his future in Philadelphia, and the offseason hasn't even really started.
President of basketball operations Daryl Morey opted against doing anything drastic in the wake of the franchise's first-round sweep at the hands of the Boston Celtics last year. This time around, it appears he'll have to make some tough decisions.
