The Philadelphia 76ers have been one of the best teams in the league this season. Most people could have predicted that reality heading into the season. They have one of the most stacked starting lineups in the league. But the starters aren’t great three-point shooters. Most of them, at least. That’s why Anferenee Simons is so important.
Simons isn’t going to start. Nor should he. But his coming off the bench and draining a ton of threes gives the Sixers some much-needed balance throughout the course of games. That’s exactly what happened on Thursday night against the Toronto Raptors. His shot-making helped lift the 76ers to a bounce-back victory after their loss to the Boston Celtics.
Without Simons’ three-point shooting (and the shooting of guys like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Dean Wade), the Sixers may be struggling a bit more. They are lucky to have him, even after a slow start.
76ers need Anfernee Simons to keep it up
As noted, the Sixers’ win over the Raptors on Thursday night was a perfect example of just how important the three-point shooting of Simons is to what the Sixers want to accomplish.
He came off the bench and put up 17 points, three rebounds, and two assists, shooting an impressive 6-of-9 from the field and 5-of-6 from beyond the three-point arc.
Caldwell-Pope was huge for them off the bench, too. He shot 4-of-7 from the field and 3-of-5 from deep range. He had 11 points, four rebounds, and five assists in the win over Toronto.
Simons has been on fire from deep range all year. He’s taking 5.8 threes a night and shooting a red-hot 42.7% on those attempts. Philly needs that badly.
Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, and VJ Edgecombe are all shooting pretty well, but it’s been bad for LeBron James and Joel Embiid. And none of the starters have been amazing from distance.
That’s why it’s important for the Sixers to have great shooters coming off the bench. To support the starting lineup. To ensure that the threes still fall at a decent clip throughout the course of the year.
This was always going to be the case heading into the season. The 76ers built a star-studded lineup. A group of guys that might be the most talented first five in the last 10 years.
But the three-point shooting was always going to be a lift. It’s probably a big reason why they signed Simons in free agency in the first place.
Now, he’s making that signing well worth it for the 76ers. He’s doing exactly what they need him to do.
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