Sixers: “Hack-a-Ben” Simmons can’t continue in postseason

If you watched the NBA in the late 1990s and throughout the 2000s then you’ve probably heard the term “Hack-a-Shaq”. It was referred to when the team would intentionally foul Hall-of-Fame center Shaquille O’Neal on purpose near the end of games. Now the Washington Wizards are doing it to the Sixers in this series.

When done to O’Neal, it was rather an effective strategy for the opposing team. It was simple whenever O’Neal’s team had possession, one of the other team’s players would foul the MVP center to send him to the free throw line. O’Neal was a career 52.7 percent foul shooter and teams rather make him bet them at the line versus letting his team get into their offense.

It worked more times than not, which is why the term became so popular. It has been deployed by other teams against players who didn’t/don’t have free throw percentage. The idea is to either make the player hit free throws to beat you or force them to the bench. Outside of O’Neal, it has sent most players to the bench, De’Andre Jordan being one of the more famous players it happened to. Now the Philadelphia 76ers face a similar issue.

Sixers need to address “Hack-a-Ben” this postseason.

More from The Sixer Sense

• 3 Sixers players who could help Team USA Basketball
• 76ers 2k24 ratings: 3 most underrated players on Philadelphia roster
• 76ers head coach Nick Nurse bares lofty plans for Paul Reed this season
• Grade the Trade: 76ers swap Tobias Harris for superstar PG in mock deal
• Sixers Podcast: Danny Green returns + James Harden bombshell

In Game 4, of the series between the Wizards and the 76ers, Washington’s head coach Scott Brooks fully embraced the “Hack-a-Shaq” mentality with Philly’s point guard Ben Simmons. In the last three minutes of the game, Simmons was fouled four times.

He attempted eight foul shots as a result and converted four of them in the losing effort of Game 4. That means he shot about 50.0 percent from the charity stripe during clutch moments. That’s not good and it’s not going to win the Sixers any games, especially in the postseason.

He failed to make any free throws in this series prior to this game and on the postseason as a whole, he’s shot just 25.0 percent from the foul line. It’s honestly surprising that the Wizards hadn’t gone to this tactic earlier in the series, granted Games 2 and 3 were blowouts so there’s that to consider.

Now head coach Doc Rivers and the rest of the Sixers coaching staff need to figure out how to combat this as the Wizards were fouling Simmons when he didn’t even have the ball. The easy solution is for Simmons to start making his free throws, but that seems unlikely as he’s a career 59.7 percent shooter from the foul line.

Based on his post-game press conference, it seems unlikely that Rivers is going to bench Simmons in the last three minutes of a game to avoid him going to the foul line. Rivers believes what Simmons brings to the court is too important to keep him on the bench, per Noah Levick of NBCSPhilly. I also tend to agree with Rivers’ beliefs as Simmons runs the offense and is an elite defender, Philly can’t lose that at the end of games.

Is there a third option? Yes, but it would make an already slow and sloppy end of a game even more so. The Sixers need to embrace “Hack-a-Ben” in their own way. There are several players that the Sixers could force to the foul line on the Wizards.

While Russell Westbrook has shot fine from the line thus far this postseason, he’s struggled the last several regular seasons. This year, he’s shot 65.8 percent from the free throw line this regular season. Daniel Gafford is another player who struggles to make free throws and during this postseason it’s gotten worse. He’s shot 65.0 percent from the foul line during the playoffs. Make the Wizards beat the Sixers at their own game is the best way to combat it.

Hopefully, Simmons can start hitting his free throws, but the Sixers should also consider using the “Hack-a-Ben” strategy against the Wizards if Washington decides to try it in Game 5.