2. Ben Simmons to find some rhythm
If there’s one person who hasn’t fully lived up to expectations since entering the bubble, it is Ben Simmons. Coming off of a back injury which resulted in him not playing the final eight games prior to the lockdown, his expectations were really high.
Before the hiatus, he put up numbers which placed him in contention for Defensive Player of the Year, averaging 2.1 steals per game and 0.6 blocks per game. Having also added extra muscle and been working hard throughout the break, many people expected him to come out firing in Orlando.
He hasn’t managed to live up to expectations, especially on the defensive end, where T.J. Warren dropped 53 and DeMar DeRozan dropped 30. Although he wasnt guarding both players the entire time, them and the rest of their teams continued to score on Simmons all throughout the game. In fact, in the 54 games which Simmons played this season prior to lockdown, players shot an average of 41.9 percent against him (including just 37 percent from downtown). However, when you compare his defensive numbers from his first two games back, his opponents are shooting an incredible 55 percent — an increase of 31 percent.
This goes to show just how badly Ben has struggled on the defensive end (or just how well players are playing… T.J. Warren). Although, these numbers are from a very small sample size (two games), it shows the areas in Ben’s game where he needs to step up. Today’s game against the Wizards is the perfect game for Ben to unlock his full defensive capabilities.