The Sixer Sense
Fansided

Celtics exploiting Ben Simmons’ biggest weaknesses

By Christopher Kline

BOSTON, MA - MAY 3: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles against the Boston Celtics during the second quarter of Game Two of the Eastern Conference Second Round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden on May 3, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MAY 3: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles against the Boston Celtics during the second quarter of Game Two of the Eastern Conference Second Round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden on May 3, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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Ben Simmons put together arguably the worst game of his career in the Philadelphia 76ers’ Game 2 loss.

The Philadelphia 76ers lost Game 2 in disappointing fashion, blowing a 22-point first half lead and dropping to 0-2 on the series. The Boston Celtics struggled on the road in the first round, but it’s tough to argue against them being heavy favorites moving forward.

Part of the Sixers’ struggles were directly tied to Ben Simmons and his stark lack of productivity. The former top pick had the worst game of his NBA career, scoring just one point and shooting 0-4 from the field in 31 minutes.

There was a significant stretch in the third and fourth quarter where T.J. McConnell outplayed him. Perhaps the most controversial decision Brett Brown has made this postseason was putting Simmons back in the game to close things out.

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I don’t want to say Simmons wasn’t trying. I don’t think that’s the case. This felt like more of a mental lapse, with the pressure of the postseason finally catching up to somebody who has been unshakably posied all season.

It was almost a throwback to his LSU days, where Simmons’ indecisiveness was considered one of his biggest issues. He flubbed a few layups around the rim, while his lack of confidence showed on a handful of bad passes and missed opportunities.

There was one sequence that summed up Simmons’ game nicely in the fourth quarter. He was iso’d on Aron Baynes with the shot clock running down. Rather than attacking the obvious mismatch and taking Baynes to the rim, he threw a rainbow across the paint to a heavily-guarded Dario Saric, who didn’t get the shot off in time.

Boston has done an excellent job of taking away Simmons’ passing lanes and keeping the Sixers out of transition, exploiting Simmons’ biggest weaknesses in the halfcourt. If he isn’t willing to attack the rim and look for his own offense, the Celtics are going to minimize his impact every night.

We’ve seen Simmons thrive without a jumper all season. And, despite what we’ve seen in this series, he’s still an All-Star caliber player without one. If he’s going to take his game to the next level, though — especially in the postseason — spreading out his game would be ideal.

He would also benefit from improved finishing around the rim. He’s ambidexterous, but often favors his right hand and doesn’t have the greatest touch. Decisiveness will go a long way in improving his finishing as well.

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Simmons probably won’t struggle this much again. He’s still more than capable of making an impact on this series, which he’ll need to do as the series shifts to a must-win Game 3. Still, the Celtics’ defense has given him all sorts of trouble. They deserve props, and Simmons needs to find ways to improve.