Raising Expectations
The point of the basketball team is the court general. He calls the plays, sets the pace, and is the closest person to the head coach on the team. However, that player sets the expectations of each player on the court.
Much of a basketball team is spent reacting to what they see happening. The Philadelphia 76ers were reacting last season. That ends this season.
Ben Simmons expects players to move without the ball, and will get them the pass as they get to their shooting spot. He will expect the team to play hard. He will fight and scrap and get the most out of the players in the lineup.
Most of all, he will raise the expectations of the team.
Where passion supplies a much greater energy, Simmons will serve as the lens for that energy. His passing precision, basketball IQ, and athleticism will give the Philadelphia 76ers an unexpected advantage.
But this team will need one final element, one last piece to improve. The team will need an enforcer, and Joel Embiid is all that and more.
Next: Joel Enforcer