Lead By Example
Do not expect Ben Simmons to simply arrive one day, make a public announcement “This is my team now!” and just start leading the team on the basketball court. Leadership doesn’t work that way. It requires integrity, trust, and performance. Recently we have been diagnosing struggles facing the Philadelphia 76ers in the early stage of the 2016-2017 NBA season. So far, the team is dead last in the NBA in scoring, and near the bottom of the NBA in rebounds.
That has to change for the team to have any hope of even modest success this year. Those changes won’t happen without some form of catalyst. Ben Simmons could be that catalyst.
Air Alamo
It starts with the boards. Right now Philadelphia is averaging just 41.2 rebounds per game. If his summer league stats hold up, Ben Simmons would be the team leader in rebounds at 7.8 per game. Since he would likely slide into a small forward role, he would likely bump minutes from either Robert Covington or Hollis Thompson, both averaging four rebounds per game. That difference would place the 76ers at 44.6 rebounds per game, or at the average for the NBA.
Similarly, his 12.8 points per game would boost the production of either Covington or Thompson, Where Hollis Thompson chips in 8.2 points per game and Covington is contributing 4.0. Plus 7 points per game (diffence) would place the Philadelphia 76ers at 23rd in the league. Not great, but a far better cry than dead last.
Production like that would be remarkable for the team directly. But even moreso? A triad of front court pairings of Embiid/Okafor, Saric/Ilyasova, and Simmons/Covington would finally settle the roster once and for all. If Richaun Holmes continues to progress this year, he would simply slide into the roster in the space occupied by Ilyasova this season. With a young and talented front court FINALLy established, the team can focus on the back court for next season.