As 76ers’ title hopes rise, Ben Simmons finds his voice
But with the 76ers sitting atop the East with a 39-17 record through Friday, Simmons has started to find his voice and to angle publicly for his share of the credit. The real Simmons, he has argued repeatedly, is a multi-positional, game-changing defensive presence who is central to Philadelphia’s growing bid to reach its first Finals since 2001 and win its first title since 1983.
Simmons told ESPN that he deserved to win Defensive Player of the Year because Rudy Gobert “is not guarding everybody” and because Simmons scored 42 points against the Utah Jazz center in a head-to-head matchup in February. Simmons then jabbed the Brooklyn Nets’ assemblage of offensive talent, noting that “there’s one ball and you have to play defense still.” In a GQ interview, Simmons reiterated his Defensive Player of the Year credentials and compared his versatility to Kawhi Leonard. He then said that the 76ers, who were ejected from the bubble by the Boston Celtics in a humbling first-round sweep, are ready to go all the way: “I think this is the year for us to do it, honestly. Win the championship. I genuinely believe that.”
It has been a bit disorienting to hear Simmons, a two-time all-defensive team selection, speak so forthrightly after years of wooden interviews and relatively quiet postseason performances. Typically, complementary stars leave the grand proclamations to their franchise players, and Simmons’ award campaigning technically comes at Embiid’s expense. Embiid is a leading candidate for both MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, and he is easily Philadelphia’s most indispensable player on both ends. Indeed, Simmons can thrive as an aggressive on-ball defender, often picking up ballhandlers well outside the 3-point line, because Embiid is playing clean up on the backline.
The 76ers, who boast the league’s second-best defense, have rallied around Simmons’ message. Embiid said Friday that the Defensive Player of the Year award is something that his sidekick “wants so much” and “deserves.” Coach Doc Rivers, who has a well-honed knack for motivating his players with public praise, has advocated for Simmons in the award race just as he sang DeAndre Jordan’s defensive praises throughout the Los Angeles Clippers’ “Lob City” era.
Even if Simmons is guilty of overstating his case, his most ardent critics have long undersold his value by judging him solely on his timid outside shooting. He is an excellent, naturally unselfish passer, a disciplined rebounder and a disrupter defender whether he is on or off the ball thanks to his quick feet and active hands. His shooting deficiencies are less crippling when he is the only non-shooter on the court and he was a chief beneficiary of Philadelphia’s decision to trade Al Horford in search of better spacing.
In hindsight, Simmons’ absence because of a knee injury was an underdiscussed factor in Philadelphia’s collapse against Boston. There were plenty of other issues, including hot seat talk swirling around then-coach Brett Brown, Embiid’s conditioning and Horford’s poor fit. Losing Simmons left the 76ers without their best defensive answer for the Celtics’ wing duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and their backup options simply weren’t up to the task. While Simmons’ presence might not have altered the series outcome or saved his coach’s job, Philadelphia would have at least written a more dignified ending.
With Rivers in as coach, Daryl Morey in as lead executive and Embiid in peak form, the 76ers have enjoyed a remarkable turnaround this season. The drama and distractions have been kept to a minimum, with Philadelphia even managing to go 7-3 during a recent three-week stretch without Embiid. The 76ers have controlled games with their defense and boast a league-best 22-6 record in games that are within five points in the past five minutes.
Embiid certainly deserves top billing, but Simmons has every right to toot his own horn. During a 106-103 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, Simmons lofted a beautiful touch pass over the defense that set up a Furkan Korkmaz layup in the game’s final minute. Then, he hounded Paul George in the closing seconds, denying the ball to the Clippers star on an inbounds play and forcing Marcus Morris to launch a desperation heave as time expired. The stretch run was vintage Simmons: Although he didn’t attempt a shot in the game’s final seven minutes, he made two decisive and timely plays to help secure the victory.
“You guys are way more concerned about [Simmons] scoring than I am,” Rivers said earlier this month. “I think Ben does so many things for this team to help us win. Scoring is just, I’m telling you, the least thing that I’m concerned about.”
No matter how valiantly Rivers defends Simmons or how relentlessly Simmons works to rewrite his reputation, the scoring issue looms large for Philadelphia as the playoffs approach. Rivals will dare him to shoot and foul him when necessary to put his subpar free throw shooting to the test. They will trap Embiid, betting that Philadelphia’s 3-point attack — which ranks 27th in attempts per game despite its offseason roster makeover — won’t be up to the task. If Simmons can’t make the necessary adjustments and find ways to complement Embiid, Philadelphia’s offense, which ranks 14th in efficiency, will struggle to keep pace with the Nets and Milwaukee Bucks, both of whom rank in the top five.
Therein lies the most exciting aspect of Simmons’ recent chest-thumping. He knows as well as anyone that he will be a postseason target, and he’s chosen to welcome the scrutiny rather than shy from it.
