Ben Simmons has to go. That is now clear to anyone who watched the Sixers crumble in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The Sixers need a real point guard, preferably one unafraid of the moment, to get out of neutral in the NBA playoffs. It was obvious before this disappointing run began. It’s unavoidable now.
But for as bad as Simmons was and for as much life as he sucked out of the team, we’re about to make one player a scapegoat for all of the Sixers problems. That will be a mistake. Hopefully one that Daryl Morey recognizes when it comes time to moving Simmons in a trade and reshaping the roster again.
Because when looking at the Sixers playoff failures over the last four years, there’s an elephant in the room beyond Simmons’ deficiencies that needs to be addressed in a deal for a very specific type of player.
The Sixers need a closer because Joel Embiid isn’t one.
Now, let’s get a few things out of the way before going any further: Embiid is a great player, and legitimately deserved true NBA MVP consideration. He played hurt, which is admirable. He gave every ounce of effort he had in this run. He, unlike some so-called stars, works on his game to improve. He’s the face of the Sixers, and every basketball fan in Philadelphia is lucky to be able to watch him.
But the reality of Embiid’s playoff career is what it is: The big man is a combination of gassed and/or hobbling at the end of every Sixers playoff run. That reality likely isn’t changing. And that means the Sixers have to go about finding another player capable of taking the team home late in crunch time when their franchise center is too tired or incapable of holding max effort for 38-plus minutes.
Sunday’s loss to the Hawks was Embiid’s seventh career elimination game. His numbers aren’t pretty.
Record: 3-4
PT: 23.4
FG%: .429
3PT%: .281
FT%: .754
REB: 11.5
AST: 2.1
TO. 5.0
You read that correctly. Embiid has averaged five turnovers per game in elimination games. That includes eight in Game 6 and eight in Game 7 vs. Atlanta. In the last 30 years, Embiid is the first NBA player to record back-to-back playoff games with eight or more turnovers. In the final four games of this series, Embiid shot 14-of-56 in the second half of games and recorded 12 turnovers. When you picture these games and moments, memories of sloppy turnovers, poor shot selection around the perimeter and flailing while desperately looking for a whistle come to mind. It all speaks to a tired player that isn't as fearless and confident as he is earlier in contests or series. It speaks to a big man not built for the role he's being asked to play.
We can (somewhat fairly) blame a lot of this on Simmons. Surely having a true point guard will get the ball out of Embiid’s hands around the perimeter as much. It will make him better. He’ll likely turn it over less.
But there may be more to this than simply swapping out a bad fit for a better fit. Embiid’s body may not be able to handle the regular season and playoff grind, all while asking him to play such a large role on both ends of the floor. The game has changed. It’s about perimeter shot creation, not the inside presence. I have serious doubts about the Sixers ever making it all the way by running the offense through Embiid for 40-plus minutes late in the postseason.
So as we size up potential Simmons trades and look for fits, don’t just factor in spacing and shooting. Ask yourself if you can imagine the player (Zach LaVine? CJ McCollum?) with the ball in his hands, initiating offense and bringing the Sixers home in crunch time. We know Simmons isn’t that guy. But the truth is that Embiid isn’t either, at least not when physically compromised and asked to do so much throughout a series.
Simmons has to go and Embiid needs a partner that he can rely on to make up for what he can’t do: Close playoff series.