The Sixers need more out of Ben Simmons.
That sentence shouldn't be controversial. It shouldn't cause a ruckus. It should be the prevailing thought in Philadelphia right now as we watch the NBA playoffs.
If the Sixers are going to actually get to or win the NBA Finals, Simmons needs to be a better version of himself. Defense, playmaking and rebounds are wonderful. Simmons deserves credit for what he does well, and how he helps the Sixers win games. We're talking about a very good basketball player, a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year and worthy NBA All-Star. But we're also talking about the template for winning a title in the modern NBA, and Simmons' game is becoming more and more alarming by the day when viewed through that prism.
Entering Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. the Hawks, Simmons is averaging 13.6 points per game in this postseason. That includes two games with less than 10 points. At the free throw line, Simmons (32.5%) has been abysmal. Hack-a-Ben is a thing, and it's not going away. In the second half of the Game 2 win over Atlanta, Ben was invisible on the offensive end. Unless the flow of the game is in transition, Simmons barely registers on offense.
You can keep pretending this isn't a big deal until the Sixers are knocked out, or you can realize the fundamental issue at hand: The Sixers point guard, in a league full of knockdown shooters and scorers, doesn't participate and help his teammates put points on the board often enough in the biggest games.
Sure, his assists generate points. Simmons has excellent court vision and often puts his teammates in outstanding spots to hit open shots. It's a huge reason why he generates so many assists and why surrounding him with more shooters was paramount for general manager Daryl Morey last offseason. But every knockdown three by Seth Curry, Danny Green, Furkan Kormaz and other Sixers role players is Simmons passing the burden to others. As the games get bigger and bigger, especially on the road, asking limited players to take turns pouring in 20-plus points per game to make up for Simmons' offensive game is asking too much. You don't win championships on the backs of role players contributing over their heads. You win it with stars carrying the day.
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia's one true superstar, is playing like a No. 1 capable of leading his team to a title. He's the man, and playing like it. But despite how good he's looked, asking for 40 points per night from a big man with a torn meniscus is asking too much. He'll need help. He'll need more scoring around him some nights. It's the reality of the NBA. One star can't do it alone.
Yes, Tobias Harris is a good player. But if we're being honest with ourselves, Harris is not the No. 2 guy on a title team. He's a No. 3 at best. For every minute he looks like a facsimile of a younger Carmelo Anthony, there's another in which he has a bad possession or lost quarter.
Doc Rivers is right about at least one thing he's said during this Sixers run: Simmons isn't a 40-point guy. Asking or expecting that is foolhardy. But is it too much to ask a former No. 1 overall pick and max player to raise his game on the biggest stage? Is it asking too much for Simmons to go to, say, 18 or 19 points per game, instead of watching his average dip on the big stage? Is it asking too much for competence from the free throw line so Rivers doesn't have to remove an All-NBA defender from the game in crunch time?
I'm tired of hearing about all the things Simmons does well as some sort of crutch for the things he doesn't do well. Great players do almost everything well. Having multiple players of that ilk is how championships are won. I know the Sixers have one of those guys, and I know holding our collective breath every night for Curry or Green to make up the scoring woes for Simmons will end in disappointment.
The Sixers have a real chance to do something special over the next few weeks. The only way it will happen is if Simmons delivers more than he has so far in the postseason. It's OK to admit it.
