Philadelphia 76ers: Ben Simmons, maddening and essential

The Philadelphia 76ers’ All-Star point guard is a special talent. The sooner fans come to terms with that, the better.

I’ll lay it bare, no words minced, no punches pulled. Ben Simmons is the Philadelphia 76ers‘ most maddening player. Not because of his personality, or because he’s not good at basketball. In fact, he’s rather good at basketball. It’s his approach.

Ben Simmons can make threes, but he won’t take them. Ben Simmons should thrive off-ball, but instead of setting hard screens, rolling hard to the rim, and cosplaying Draymond Green, he prefers to hunt post-ups and hover in the dunker’s spot.

Some of it is on Brett Brown and the scheme, but often enough, it’s Simmons who refuses to maximize his potential. If Simmons was more active in off-ball situations, not to mention more aggressive with the ball in his hands, the benefits would be infinite.

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People tend to speak in absolutes. The Sixers won’t reach their ceiling if Simmons doesn’t change his approach. True, as by definition, a team’s “ceiling” would involve the absolute maximization of every player on the roster. If Simmons has more left in the tank, Philadelphia isn’t reaching its ceiling.

My issue with such comments is the ignorance of the grey area, the in between. Ben Simmons could never shoot another three, and I’d still consider Philadelphia a championship threat, both short and long-term. Even if Simmons remains bullish on his narrow interpretation of a ‘point guard’ role, the Sixers can still win.

Sometimes in NBA, and in life, talent trumps all. Simmons is talented — and he’s not lacking in effort, either. Simmons may not focus his energies in all the right places, but the energy is there. He’s a hound on defense, a bulldozer in transition, and a plainly unselfish lead creator.

For all his many, many flaws, Simmons can aptly defend five positions at an All-Defense level. He will effectively initiate sets and collapse a defense more often than not. He will score efficiently inside. He will spearhead a dynamic transition offense when Joel Embiid sits.

Over his last 10 games, Simmons is averaging 16.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 9.6 assists. He’s nabbing 2.3 steals per contest, and his turnover ratio is roughly in the 3:1 range. Very respectable, and a reminder of his immense and all-encompassing talent.

The Sixers will never maximize Embiid and Simmons to the fullest extent as individuals. That doesn’t matter. The Sixers’ goal is to win games, not to groom MVP candidates. It’s about building a roster more harmonious to both their skill sets.

Look at Philadelphia’s reported trade deadline targets. Ball handlers and shooters. More halfcourt creators, especially in the pick-and-roll, can generate easier looks for Embiid. It also gives Simmons more opportunity to diversify his off-ball repertoire. More shooting helps on both fronts — clearing the paint for Embiid and flanking Simmons with outlets on the perimeter.

The Sixers have a 6-foot-10 mega-athlete among the league leaders in assists and steals. He’s shooting 56.3 percent from the field, he’s checking Pascal Siakam and Chris Paul from night-to-night, and he’s well on his way to a second All-Star berth, not to mention fringe Defensive Player of the Year chatter.

Simmons can get under fans’ skin, and that’s perfectly understandable. He’s a maddening, oftentimes annoying, sometimes underwhelming performer. He does everything to irritate the old heads and everything to leave modern fans skeptical. Add in the natural impulsivity of Philadelphia fans, and it’s an environment conducive to… hot takes.

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The Sixers should not look to trade Simmons. He is not a detriment to Philadelphia’s title odds, short or long-term. He’s a building block, and essential piece to the puzzle. Not a square peg in a round hole. Let him breath, let the season come together, and appreciate Simmons’ unique gifts.