Philadelphia 76ers: Is a Joel Embiid-Ben Simmons split inevitable?
With the Philadelphia 76ers recent struggles, many have questioned whether it is time to split up the All-star duo of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.
The Philadelphia 76ers have two of the most dynamic young stars in the league, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that their games complement each other well.
It is no secret that Ben Simmons is a slasher who plays inside out so he can be a facilitator and pass out of double teams. Joel Embiid‘s game, however, is much different. Aside from shooting long and mid-range jumpers, which he gets criticism for, he does get inside the paint as much as any center in the league. If Simmons continues to pass on taking jumpers to create space, then there is no space for Embiid to operate down low like many fans and sports pundits want.
During the teams’ recent woes, Embiid took a jab at his running mate while talking to reporters and basically told Simmons to just shoot the ball.
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ESPN’s Jalen Rose agrees with the sentiment and thinks that the Philadelphia 76ers will eventually trade their star point guard, as he stated on Jalen and Jacoby.
Learning from history, even the best of the best NBA duos have parted ways, some with championships under their belt, and some without.
Not naming the pairings with titles, it is hard not to compare Simmons and Embiid to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, two players who were chastised by the media because their style of play did not mesh well. Ultimately they both thrived without the other, with Durant reaching the mountain top in Golden State and Westbrook notching his first MVP.
Simmons is top-five in assists and leads the NBA in steals, with just over two a game. He is expected to be on the All-Defense first team, as he is quickly becoming one of the best defenders in the league.
Embiid, who is a two-time All-star, is widely regarded as one of the best centers, if not the best. When his team is in dire need of some offense, he makes sure to fill that void when healthy.
Their individual accolades speak for themselves. Trading away one or both of these star athletes right now seems a bit preposterous. They only have three seasons under their belt together, and I don’t think that they should be separated right now, especially when you are going to need them both, as the playoffs draw near. Next year doesn’t seem likely either.
Next. 3 players the Sixers should not trade. dark
With all things said, a split down the line is not out of the question. Let’s face the facts unless either of these two doesn’t change up their game so that it complements the others game, things might not work out. With Simmons deciding not to shoot jumpers to space the floor and Embiid playing the wing more and more, a break up is inevitable.