How Ben Simmons' lack of all-round game is holding the Philadelphia 76ers back
The Philadelphia 76ers were on the wrong end of a historic and improbable comeback against the Atlanta Hawks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals. The Hawks, led by the talismanic point guard Trae Young, defeated the Sixers 109-106, erasing a 26-point deficit to win the game.
Philadelphia 76ers star point guard Ben Simmons finished the night with just 8 points, taking only 4 field-goal attempts in the game.
Ben Simmons needs to make his game multi-dimensional if he wants to enjoy star status with Philadelphia 76ers
Ben Simmons is revered as an NBA star, and his style of play has earned him a comparison to one of the greatest players of all time, LeBron James. A 6'10 point forward, Simmons is adept at playmaking and combines his distribution with lockdown defense.
Simmons narrowly missed out on the Defensive Player of the Year accolade, and ended the regular season with averages of 14 points, 7 rebounds and close to 7 assists.
However, Ben Simmons' inability to be a scoring threat has turned out to be counter-productive for the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers view Simmons as their second star behind Joel Embiid, but his performances in key games have led fans and analysts to doubt that status.
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Simmons failed to exert his influence in Game 5 against the Atlanta Hawks, taking just 4 shots attempts and making a woeful 4 out of 14 attempts from the charity stripe.
Joel Embiid ended the game with 37 points while Seth Curry scored 36, but were unable to help their team protect the lead. Simmons' single-digit scoring night stands out in contrast to the numbers of these two players. It also raises a very reasonable question - Should the Philadelphia 76ers continue viewing Simmons as a star player?
The current campaign is Ben Simmons' 4th year in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Australian-born player has still not managed to add a reliable jump shot to his range of weapons. His free-throw shooting has always been a concern, but the issue has been further highlighted in the ongoing playoffs, as Simmons has been able to knock down a frigid 32.8% of his free throws.
The Philadelphia 76ers decided to compensate for Simmons' lack of shooting by adding Tobias Harris to the roster. Harris hasn't been exactly a success either, as his production has been nowhere close to the contract he signed with the Sixers. However, the former LA Clippers All-Star has been solid in the ongoing 2021 NBA Playoffs.
Ben Simmons' lack of an all-round game has hurt the Philadelphia 76ers in multiple ways, and the point-forward will have to find a way to develop his game soon. Otherwise, the Sixers might have no choice but to look for other options.
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