Is this Ben Simmons’ last dance with the Sixers?

Philadelphia demands greatness. Its a city of passion and extremely high expectations. When you are winning and giving everything you have, the city will love you like no other and show unconditional gratitude. When you are losing and things are going south, it can be quite the opposite. To me, the Sixers have one last shot at showing the city and organization that the duo of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid can be successful together.

A couple years ago, we were debating back and forth about who was better between the two. This year, Joel Embiid has emphatically closed the door on that debate, looking like a top five player in the NBA. He is a generational talent that needs to be supported with the best cast possible during his “prime” years. He deserves to be surrounded by a true superstar who can make his life easier and who he can depend on every night to help win games.

Is Ben Simmons this guy? Can he step up in the playoffs and be a dominating force that the sixers need in their “second option” ? Take a look at the other second options in the NBA.  Anthony Davis, Paul George, James Harden, Chris Paul, Khris Middleton, Jaylen Brown, and Jamal Murray — ALL fall into this category. These are the caliber of players that are now considered second options on their respective teams in the NBA. They all have one thing in common: they can score the basketball at extremely high levels.

Ben Simmons has to show take-over ability. He cannot leave Embiid stranded come playoff time and hurt the Sixers because of his poor shooting ability. We all know Ben is a defensive force and good all around basketball player. In today’s NBA, that may not be enough to win in the playoffs, especially in the more serious rounds.

Ben needs to find a way to prove his value in the playoffs.  We all know what we have with Joel Embiid — Ben Simmons is the X-factor in the Sixers’ pursuit of true contention. If Ben can’t get it done this year and show significant value and growth, the Sixers may have to explore other options. This is Ben Simmons’ audition to the city and organization to show why we took him No. 1 overall in 2016. He has to get it done.