The Philadelphia 76ers have officially changed Ben S immons’ position in practice. Here’s why it matters.
Ben Simmons has been a self-proclaimed point guard since he entered the NBA. As the Philadelphia 76ers gear up for the 23-year-old’s third postseason run, however, it appears his position will officially change.
Brett Brown recently announced that Simmons has played exclusively at power forward in Orlando practices. A significant bit of news, as it drastically changes Simmons’ role in the halfcourt offense. It has been a long time coming, and with Shake Milton on the rise, now is as good a time as any to make the change.
The Sixers have long sought solutions to the conundrum of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Both are top-20 players, yet neither complements the other’s skill set. The answer was always going to involve Simmons buying into a more off-ball role. All indications are that Simmons has indeed bought in.
As Philadelphia (and Simmons) adjust to a new look, a lot is bound to change on both sides of the ball. This single positional change has a bevy of potential implications, each as important as the next. Here are five to monitor as the season rapidly approaches.
5. Tobias Harris… the power forward
While the scorecard will likely denominate Simmons as the Sixers’ power forward, for Tobias Harris, this marks a return to his natural position. The four has always been Harris’ position of comfort, and he’s likely to find success easier to come by with Al Horford in the second unit (more on that in a bit…)
Even if Simmons is the nominal power forward, it’s Harris who is likely to defend power forwards. While Harris has improved greatly on defense this season, he’s still a limited athlete who isn’t particularly agile on the perimeter. There are some notable exceptions, but Harris is better off guarding fours in most matchups.
This also bodes well for Harris on offense, where he will play a role more akin to power forward. While Simmons will see more volume as a screener, Harris will often face bigger and slower defenders who were previously assigned to Horford. This gives Harris a much-needed edge when creating his own looks.
Harris will also have the chance to run pick-and-rolls as the ball-handler, using Simmons as a screener. The Simmons screen-and-rolls are bound to create havoc for opposing defenses, off which Harris can feast. The Sixers will still need Harris to contribute on the ball, but a move to a slightly smaller lineup will accentuate his strengths.
What also bears mentioning is Harris’ career-long success as the screener in pick-and-roll. With a more traditional pick-and-roll ball-handler on the floor at point guard, the Sixers will be able to unleash Harris as a screener, which hasn’t happened much at all up until this point.
4. More minutes for Alec Burks (and maybe Raul Neto)
The Sixers will still occasionally use Ben Simmons at point guard, but the general expectation is Simmons will spend more time next to other ball-handlers. That means Alec Burks is likely to see increased minutes as Philadelphia’s de facto backup to Milton.
Whether Burks officially registers minutes at point guard or not, his skill set is of tremendous value to the Sixers. He can handle in the pick-and-roll, hit pull-up jumpers on the perimeter, and make plays off of dribble penetration. He’s more inclined to score than to create for others, but the Sixers need to work with what they have.
Burks averaged 16.1 points per game this season before the trade to Philadelphia. He’s capable of carrying a significant chunk of the offense when necessary. The Sixers have more depth and talent than Golden State, but Burks’ offensive repertoire should only increase in value once the postseason arrives.
Brett Brown has long been a fan of veterans, and Burks is one of the most experienced players in the second unit. He’s someone who has proven he can shoot at a high volume and create off the bounce. It’s difficult to imagine a future in which Burks doesn’t win over Brown.
As for Raul Neto, he could see a resurgence of sorts if the Sixers are willing to experiment the rest of the regular season. Neto has struggled to maintain a role this year, but he’s a good shooter and mistake-averse playmaker with postseason experience. If the Sixers want to run Simmons next to true point guards, Neto remains a viable — if unexciting — option.
3. Fewer minutes for…
Mike Scott and Glenn Robinson III.
This negatively impacts Scott more than any other player (besides Horford, maybe). Scott has been in and out of the rotation all season, and Simmons’ move to power forward — combined with Horford’s move to the second unit — could eliminate any extra playing time at the four.
Scott has theoretical value as a spot-up shooter, but his jumper hasn’t been falling this year. If his jumper isn’t falling, his defense and his ancillary skills simply aren’t enough to produce positive value. The Sixers have been trending away from Scott all season, yes, but this is the nail in the coffin.
As for GRIII, he should receive more playing time as the postseason nears. He’s probably the third-best player in the second unit behind Horford and Burks. But the Sixers still have plans for Matisse Thybulle and Furkan Korkmaz lineups — two players who have established chemistry with Simmons. If it comes down to a nine-man group in the playoffs, Robinson could be the odd man out.
It seems a bit improbable at first glance, but Brown specifically mentioned Thybulle and Korkmaz as part of a lineup combination he plans to utilize. Horford and Burks take the other two reserve spots in Brown’s nine-man group, and there’s no space left for Robinson. Unless he shows out in the regular season, it’s very possible the GRIII experience in Philadelphia will be short-lived and unmemorable.
2. Al Horford to the bench
This is a biggie — something we’ve speculated on for months, but wasn’t confirmed until recently. The Sixers will use Al Horford as the backup center to Joel Embiid. And while he’s bound to see some minutes at power forward, this marks a significant change in Horford’s role.
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First and foremost, the Sixers should eliminate all Embiid-Horford-Simmons lineups. It’s a faulty concoction — it does not work. Embiid-Simmons lineups are deadly. Even Embiid-Horford lineups can survive. But all three on the court at the same time is mediocre at best, and disastrous at worst.
Brett Brown will need to get creative with Horford’s minutes in order to make the most of an imperfect situation. The Sixers’ commitment to more pick-and-rolls is a positive. Horford is a dynamic pick-and-roll weapon, which Philadelphia hasn’t yet tapped into during his tenure. He can comfortably roam the paint in the minutes Embiid sits.
If the Sixers manage to play Embiid 38 minutes a night in the postseason, that leaves only 10 minutes at center for Horford. He will spend the rest of his evenings playing next to Embiid — ideally in lineups not involving Simmons. That puts his minutes around 15-20 per night, assuming he plays all the non-Embiid minutes and all the non-Simmons minutes.
Horford can still produce, and it’s clear the Sixers are gearing up to use lineups more conducive to Horford’s success. It will unfortunately come in a greatly reduced role. It’s no longer feasible for the Sixers to milk a successful 30 minutes out of Horford each night. Even if he’s healthier than before, he’s the ultimate example of the square peg in a round hole metaphor.
1. Shake n’ Bake on the perimeter
The absolute biggest implication of Simmons’ move to power forward is the man “replacing” him at point guard — Malik Benjamin Milton. Is it a coincidence both Ben and Shake share the name Benjamin? I think not.
This move will have the most direct impact on the Sixers’ ability to compete for a championship. If Milton can recapture his pre-shutdown magic, the Sixers are bona fide contenders. He’s not only a top-shelf shooter, but a wildly underrated passer. He’s smart, poised, and in my view, ready for the spotlight.
Milton and the Sixers’ impending reliance on the pick-and-roll go hand-in-hand. He’s the most comfortable pick-and-roll ball-handler on the roster, and his ability to patiently probe defenses, locate open teammates, and hit pull-up jumpers will greatly benefit a sometimes stagnant halfcourt offense.
There’s also the general benefit of adding another capable passer to the starting five — and more importantly, one who can help break down defenses. While the Sixers have always had talent, it’s difficult to function offensively when there’s only one consistent playmaker in the starting five. It’s even harder when that one playmaker won’t shoot and the only isolation scorer on the roster is a back-to-the-basket center.
Milton is no Kemba Walker. He’s not the twitchiest athlete on the block, and he’s not someone who will score a ton of isolation points to buoy an offense. But as a smart playmaker who can split the playmaking load with Simmons, he’s invaluable. He’s the point guard of the future, and one of the most intriguing building blocks in the NBA — even if he’s still largely unproven.
This could go a number of ways. Milton could fall back to earth in dramatic fashion, or he could flourish, establishing himself as the Sixers’ next budding star in the process. There has been much debate over the sustainability of Milton’s production before the break. The early reviews from Orlando are positive, however, and there’s reason to buy stock.