The Sixer Sense
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Philadelphia 76ers Ben Simmons holds key to 76ers NBA Playoffs

PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 2: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers talks with the media after the game against the Miami Heat on February 2, 2018 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 2: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers talks with the media after the game against the Miami Heat on February 2, 2018 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
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The Philadelphia 76ers Ben Simmons defies traditional roles as he continues to pillage the NBA with triple doubles. But as the season draws to a close, he holds the key to carrying the Philadelphia 76ers into the playoffs

Philadelphia 76ers’ point guard Ben Simmons is just an NBA rookie. A rookie in the sense that this is his first year of NBA play. First time facing NBA teams. And even first year of putting in an 82 game season.  And yet, his production leads many to see him as something more, an enigma of sorts.  You see, he has the size and power of a front court power forward. He can deliver the ball through the hoop in a crowd. Conversely, he is the primary ball handler. He can run the floor, translate plays from the white board of head coach Brett Brown onto the basketball court, and distribute the basketball to the cleanest shot.

As a rookie, that’s quite a truckload of responsibility.

Rookie Ben

The framework of someone so new to the NBA performing like this is mind-boggling. So far, he’s handling the load at an incredibly high level.  As far as expectations for his rookie season? He’s smashed those high expectation weeks ago.  As a matter of fact, he’s already generated six triple-doubles as a rookie.

Six.

But there is always a subplot on the Sixers to distract fans from the display on the basketball court.  Until this season, there was always the “What will the team do with Jahlil Okafor?”.  Now that issue has resolved. And so, the team replaces that mystery with a new puzzler: What is behind the curtain on Markelle Fultz? As the team pauses on a five-game winning streak, they are now sitting at 30-25 with 27 games remaining in the season.