1. Defensive pressure on Simmons
The Heat broke out a defensive strategy the Sixers should have seen coming, pressuring Ben Simmons out to the perimeter. Rather than sagging off and allowing him to get downhill, they made it far more difficult for him to get to his regular spots on the floor.
Miami was always a tough matchup for Simmons individually. Josh Richardson, Justise Winslow and James Johnson are all high-end defenders who can hang with him physically. Not many teams can throw that many looks at the presumtive Rookie of the Year.
Simmons, while not able to make some of the passes we’re used to, still handled the pressure well. He got off to a slow start, but carried the Sixers down the stretch as they clawed their way back into the game. He ended up with 24 points and eight assists while limiting his turnovers to two.
The offense stagnated for multiple reasons Monday night, but Miami’s ability to alter Simmons’ approach played a significant role in that. He’ll need to be prepared for increased on-ball pressure yet again, something an Embiid return (?) can ideally help mitigate.