Philadelphia 76ers: J.J. Redick approves Joel Embiid-Ben Simmons fit
The former Philadelphia 76ers sharpshooter had encouraging words about the team’s stars.
The decision to let J.J. Redick walk was one of many questionable decisions from the Philadelphia 76ers‘ front office last summer. Redick was a central cog in Brett Brown’s offense, and his floor-spacing has been desperately missed in the starting five.
Redick now wears a New Orleans Pelicans jersey, but in a recent appearance on the Sixers Beat podcast, the former Sixer shed a positive light on two former teammates. When asked if Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons can fit together, Redick stated it plainly: “they can fit together, for sure.”
He went on to state evidence and back up his case. The numbers from 2018 and 2019, as Redick correctly lays out, paint a picture of irrefutable dominance in the form of Embiid and Simmons. Before 2019-20 season, when the roster around them was scrapped in favor of ill-fitted pieces, Embiid and Simmons combined to lead some of the NBA’s most powerful lineups.
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In Embiid, the Sixers have a one-man defensive wrecking crew — a rim protector of immense range and impact. Embiid alone assures a top-10 defense, and the Sixers have done a good enough job placing adequate defenders around him.
The Sixers have a likewise impactful defender in Simmons. While not the one-man scheme Embiid is, Simmons does have the unique ability to truly defend all five positions. He can do so better than anyone else in basketball at this stage. He’s a muscular 6-foot-10, but he’s also one of the quickest athletes in the NBA. A singular athlete.
On the offensive end is where concerns about Embiid and Simmons typically come to light. Embiid is most comfortable in the post, where he can throw around his massive 7-foot frame. Simmons is a non-shooter to the extreme, which contradicts Embiid’s need for space inside. On paper, at least.
There have truthfully been moments of conflict between Embiid and Simmons on the court. By no means is it a perfect marriage. But sometimes talent, and more importantly intelligence, wins out. Redick made a special effort to mention intelligence as a reason for Embiid and Simmons’ positive long-term prognosis.
In a vacuum, Embiid and Simmons are top-20 NBA players. The Sixers, for my money, would be fools to trade away two superstars as young as Embiid and Simmons — superstars who, despite a nasty media narrative, have developed a nice bit of chemistry in the right settings.
Embiid and Simmons have coauthored some of the NBA’s most deadly lineups in recent memory. There is a subtle beauty to the methodical tug-and-pull of Embiid’s post-up arsenal and the breakneck frenzy of Simmons transition playmaking. Both thrive in different settings, but combined, there is enough skill, I.Q., and raw firepower to make it work.
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Redick thinks it will work, and he’s absolutely right.