When the 76ers somehow managed to snag Anfernee Simons for chump change in free agency, the front office envisioned him being the catalyst for change with regard to the team's longstanding issues when it comes to bench scoring. Unfortunately, that has yet to be the case so far, as the combo guard has immensely struggled with his shot to start the season. As such, the team's second-unit scoring has gotten even worse.
Right now, Philadelphia is dead last in the league in bench scoring, averaging a putrid 17.5 points per outing. 7.5 points separate them from the 29th-ranked team on that end which, to put things into perspective, is more than the gap between the fifth and 16th-ranked squad. Simons is the main reason why, as his shot seems to have abandoned him after his encouraging debut.
76ers still have a bench problem thanks to Anfernee Simons' cold spell
Through their first four games, Simons has averaged just six points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per outing, shooting a ghastly 25.8 percent from the field and an even more putrid 23.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Since his impressive debut in their season opener against the Knicks where he tallied 13 points on five of 10 shooting overall and drained three of his eight three-pointers, his shot has abandoned him.
Simons might finally be reeling from the fact that he had zero reps during the preseason. However, it is pretty noticeable that he is having a bit of a hard time finding his voice on the offense as his role has almost shifted to a full off-ball one.
Be that as it may, this does not change the fact that the 76ers did not sign Simons just to have the same old problem off the bench. If he cannot return to form as a microwave scorer, Philly will find itself in a world of trouble. Right now, the team has been winning games by virtue of their lockdown defense and clutch gene, but at some point, they will need an eclectic scoring attack beyond their star-studded opening group.
The 76ers certainly hope for –– and require that –– Simons' cold spell breaks as soon as possible. Given the way the team is constructed, his firepower off the bench and his outside shooting are crucial to ensure that the team's success does not hinge only on their starting five. Otherwise, not only will he become expendable, but the group will simply suffer as a whole.
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