PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Sixers won their 17th game in a row at the Wells Fargo Center. They have a 3-1 record thanks to a 100-93 win over the Toronto Raptors Tuesday night.
It's undeniable that the season is off to a good start.
That being said, more questions about Ben Simmons' shot selection were directed at head coach Doc Rivers.
Simmons finished with 11 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists in the win, but he was three of 11 from the floor. He's averaging 14.3 points a game with 9.3 rebounds and six assists.
A reporter asked Rivers if he feels that he still needs a little more out of Simmons offensively. Rivers maintained his stance from Day 1 on the job and made it clear that his focus isn't on the type of shots Simmons takes.
"No, I want to win," Rivers said. "Someone taught me this long ago: You win the game and you keep winning games and you don't worry about where or who scores. Ben missed some great shots tonight. If he had converted two or three of the layups that he made and got to the foul line a little bit more, he would've been fine."
Simmons was five of eight from the charity stripe while the team as a whole was 28 of 33. It's a big reason the Sixers erased a 14-point second-half deficit. They fell behind because their field goal percentage was dismal while the Raptors (0-3) were draining three-pointers left and right until the final moments of the fourth quarter.
"I'll let you guys talk about what Ben doesn't do," Rivers continued. "I just want Ben to keep playing great defense, running our team and winning games."
Earlier in the day, new Sixer Danny Green was asked if anything new has stood out to him about Simmons' game after playing with him for the first time in his career. He complimented Simmons' talent, but also said there are times when he has to be more assertive.
"Just be more patient, but at the same time, trusting his abilities," said Green, "not just what he's good at doing, but things we know he's not used to doing, and that's shooting the jumper. I think he can shoot pretty well, and I've been trying to get him to shoot more here and there.
"So hopefully, we get him to learn the offense first and we'll figure out his comfortability within the offense and hopefully expanding his game a little more."
If the Sixers keep winning, questions about Simmons' jumper may simmer a bit. But if they slide into the inconsistent state they were in the 2019-20 season, the doubt could continue.
