Can Ben Simmons Lead a Playoff Charge?
Soon Ben Simmons will be looked upon to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a playoff push and his surrounding cast and talent should have no problem delivering.
It may seem hard to believe, but playoff basketball is not too far away for the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 2016-2017 Sixers will not make the playoffs for a fifth straight season, but the team should certainly be thinking playoffs by the time next season rolls around. One of the most important pieces the Sixers will need to make a playoff push in the years to come is Ben Simmons.
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Simmons, the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft, missed his entire rookie season due to injury, but the point forward out of Louisiana State University should have no problem stepping in next season and leading the charge to the playoffs.
Surrounding Cast
As many of us remember leading up to the 2016 draft, one of the biggest knocks on Simmons was that he failed to reach the NCAA tournament.
Fortunately for Simmons, he will not have to carry this team alone unlike his situation at LSU.
Joel Embiid, Dario Saric, Robert Covington along with other players have made tremendous strides this season.
They will certainly be there for Simmons during the season if he struggles to get acclimated to playing in the NBA or starts feeling the pressure of being the first pick in the draft. (Especially in Philadelphia).
Ups and downs are to be expected from Simmons in his first professional season, and there’s nothing wrong with his teammates picking up the slack on occasion.
Talent
Some will question if Simmons cares enough about winning, or whether or not he can shoot a jump-shot, but one thing that can’t be questioned is his talent.
It’s hard to believe that a player who can handle the basketball with ease and pass like a point guard walks around in a 6-10 frame.
During his time in college, it looked so easy for Simmons to get a defensive rebound, handle the ball up the court and either make a beautiful pass for an assist, or take in right into the paint for an easy basket.
Perhaps the reason Simmons didn’t shoot a high volume of jump shots is because he didn’t have to because of his vision and strength.
Those impressive skills will no doubt elevate the Sixers from the basement of the Eastern Conference and into the playoff hunt starting next season.
Putting it all together
Now that some questions have been answered regarding the ceilings of lottery picks Dario Saric and Joel Embiid, its important the organization build a championship contending team.
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The team will continue to improve around him via the draft and free agency and as Simmons grows more as a player and teammate the better chance he will lead the Sixers to the playoffs and beyond.
Sixers fans should certainly feel confident Simmons is the guy to lead the charge to the playoffs.