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Ben Simmons is a major chip not being played for the Philadelphia 76ers, and as the NBA Eastern Conference improves, a window may be closing in Philly. After losing to the Portland Trailblazers 118-111 on Saturday night, Philly fell to 9-8.
Fans have long been concerned about the health of Joel Embiid, so when the 76ers centerpiece is on the shelf, the absence of Ben Simmons is even more pronounced. The NBA season is still early, yet as this saga trudges on, many other teams are in a position to complete what Philly has not finished.
How the Eastern Conference is won depends on what happens with the Brooklyn Nets and Kyrie Irving, and also what transpires in Philadelphia with Ben Simmons. How will it all play out?
The 2021-22 Philadelphia 76ers
Without Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, Doc Rivers' bunch has gone from a Lamborgini to a pick-up truck. The hard work and resilience is a great thing, and while an almost .500 season is not the best outlook, what is noticeable about the Philadelphia 76ers is how competitive they remain.
Tobias Harris is averaging 20 points and 8 rebounds. He's shooting a career-high tying 16 attempts per game, is active on both ends, and is the de facto leader as Joel Embiid recovers from Covid.
Tyrese Maxey is making the most out of his 35 minutes and averaging a much needed 17 points per affair. Maxey, if his stellar play continues, will be considered for the postseason awards (NBA 6th Man of the Year, Most Improved Player), and is one of the most promising young players in the NBA.
Eastern Conference
Eleven teams are capable of making the NBA playoffs in the East, and while the Philadelphia 76ers are one of them, the uncertainty of the roster leaves them as a playoff afterthought.
It's a pity, considering the 76ers current standing in the NBA, and if Daryl Morey and Elton Brand aren't careful, things can fall apart rather quickly in the city of brotherly love.
The Miami Heat are battle tested and ready to take over, and the surprising Washington Wizards continue to rise. Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball have the Chicago Bulls steady, so Philly with all of its disarray may be behind the eight ball trying to keep up with the top teams in the East.
The Ben Simmons effect
With the absence of Ben Simmons all season and the recent missing of games by Joel Embiid, the Philadelphia 76ers are suffering on defense. Philadelphia's offensive rating is 3rd in the NBA at 112.8, yet their defensive rating of 110.4 is 24th.
Philadelphia is 14th in scoring at 107.9 and giving up a 13th best 105.6 per game. Last year, the Philadelphia 76ers were 2nd in defensive rating (107.6), and last season's 4th best pace of 99.5 has fallen to 30th at 95.6.
Ben Simmons is a 6'10" defensive dynmo who controls the floor with his 7'0" wingspan when he's guarding the perimeter. Smaller guards have difficulty shooting over him at the top of the key, and he is uncanny with how many deflections he creates.
His 2020-21 defensive stats: defensive rating 106.6, defensive rebound pct 24.2%, steal percentage 24.2%, block percentage 14.7%, opponents second chance points 7.2, and win shares on defense 0.134. Those stats were at the top of the NBA and compared favorably with the Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert. Coincidentally, Ben Simmons scored a career-high 42 points vs. the Utah Jazz.
Matisse Thybulle is great defensively and compares statistically with both Gobert and Simmons. The issue with Thybulle is he isn't on the floor enough minutes to impact games nightly. On the wing as well, Tobias Harris is a plus defender who will do his thing in spurts.
Ben Simmons, Matisse Thybulle, Tobias Harris and Joel Embiid
The dilemma for Daryl Morey and Elton Brand is that if Simmons is traded, a defensive void will absolutely exist. A wingspan that wide is a disruptor in a few ways: defending the post pass, blowing up the pick and roll, and neutralizing the best option on offense with his defense.
Teams with offensive firepower like the Brooklyn Nets will look to the floor and be relieved Ben Simmons isn't across the floor preparing to defend. Though he can't stop any of the three for an entire game, Simmons' defense on Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving at just the right time would be effective in helping keep the 76ers close with Brooklyn.
Power shift in the East
At 25 years old, the already 3-time NBA All-Star, 2-time All NBA defender, and 2017-18 NBA Rookie of the Year is on the shelf. Sitting and not showing and proving his value on both ends is a major Philadelphia 76ers problem -- not an Eastern Conference problem.
Philadelphia knows how any transaction involving Ben Simmons would immediately shift power in the conference, and with all kinds of speculation about whether a mental health issue exists, Philadelphia's hands are tied. I don't see any way that Ben Simmons will play another game for the 76ers, and this putrid saga could drag on for the remainder of the season and even further.
The 76ers simply will not unload a young superstar with so much potential on both ends and help teams power up defensively while Philadelphia is weakened by his departure.
As enigmatic as Ben Simmons is, the difficulty for the 76ers is ensuring a true value player or players are gained in a trade that will maintain a defensive personality that is part of Doc Rivers' signature as a coach.
None of the rumored trade proposals does that, and as the 76ers limp into the quarter mark of the season, NBA front offices salivate waiting for the Philadelphia 76ers to flinch. Fans entertaining any rumors of the Philadelphia 76ers trading within the Atlantic Division?
Don't hold your breath.
Also Read: What is Ben Simmons’ Net Worth in 2021?
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