Philadelphia 76ers: It’s way too early to give up on Ben Simmons

The Philadelphia 76ers should maintain confidence in Ben Simmons despite his Christmas Day struggles.

On Christmas Day, the Philadelphia 76ers went into Boston — a tough road environment — and lost in overtime. The bench didn’t score until the third quarter and Ben Simmons, despite a quality stat line, was often ineffective.

Even with sizable issues, though, the Sixers were one J.J. Redick make away from winning. If Kyrie Irving doesn’t explode for 40 points and hit numerous clutch shots over elite Jimmy Butler defense, the outcome’s probably different.

To put it simply, the Celtics loss wasn’t that bad. The Sixers were competitive against a better team with less-than-favorable matchups. Butler’s value against the Celtics was also on full display, even if it ended in defeat.

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And yet, after a close road loss, the takes were a-flyin’. Ben Simmons’ struggles led many to question his fit next to Joel Embiid long term. It led some — like The Ringer NBA Podcast — to question whether or not the Sixers should trade the 6-foot-10 point guard.

There are legitimate concerns regarding Simmons’ limited shooting range. He compresses the spacing for Embiid, which can become especially problematic late in games. It can also render him ineffective against elite defenses when he’s not aggressively attacking the rim.

Those concerns shouldn’t cause the Sixers to make a massively shortsighted move.

Simmons is 22 years old, coming off a Rookie of the Year win and on pace for his first All-Star appearance. He’s averaging 15.9 points, 9.4 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game while shooting 57.8 percent from the field. His numbers have crept upward since the Butler trade.

For all his issues, some would argue Simmons is a top-25 player in the NBA. He can dominate in transition, grab rebounds, make high-level passes and score around the rim. All that, and he’s becoming an excellent four-position defender.

In the modern NBA, Simmons checks every box except three-point shooting. It’s not as though he’s not working on it either. There are several examples of Simmons shooting triples in pre-game warmups. He also worked in partnership with his brother over the summer.

Even if Simmons isn’t presently comfortable hitting shots, there’s ample time for him to improve. There’s a reasonable chance Simmons never hits threes at a high clip, but he doesn’t have to. Even attempting the occasional spot-up jumper would drastically boost his offensive repertoire.

Right now, the Sixers have one of the NBA’s most effective starting fives. Fit concerns aside, Brett Brown is finding ways to make the trio work. The Sixers, perhaps more than any team in the Eastern Conference, deserve three All-Stars.

Simmons has made significant strides in year two. He’s becoming more effective in the post, exploiting mismatches and finishing 68 percent of his shots at the rim. He even has two straight games with turnaround mid-range jumpers — not the best shot on paper, but a potentially good sign of things to come.

With an effective starting five and two top-15 NBA players, the Sixers have enough talent to compete in the Eastern Conference. Matchups with Boston and Toronto aren’t friendly to Simmons, but with talent alone, a legitimate bench might swing the pendulum in Philadelphia’s favor.

Adding more perimeter defense and rounding out the second unit should be Elton Brand‘s top priority. He needs to hit the trade market, attack buyouts, and look to improve all-around depth. Trading Simmons shouldn’t be a remote consideration.

In their current state, the Sixers are a piece or two away. There’s a chance those pieces come via trade, but it might take a strong free agency period next summer to put the Sixers in contention with the conference elites.

The Sixers are still young, and while the championship window won’t stay open forever, trading Simmons in his second season would be nothing short of foolish. Letting a generational talent slip away seldom ends well.