24-year-old Ben Simmons is one of the best young players in the league, and that much is no question. As a star and leader for the Philadelphia 76ers, he’s averaging 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game on 55.7% shooting.
But Simmons’ limitations from distance are not only a huge detriment to his game, but it’s also a detriment to the team, who has title aspirations this postseason.
On ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith laid into Ben for his shooting ability, going so far as to say it will cost his team a title.
“Ben Simmons, to me, is going to cost the Philadelphia 76ers a title all because he has no shooting ability.”
"Ben Simmons, to me, is going to cost the Philadelphia 76ers a title all because he has no shooting ability."@stephenasmith reacts to Doc Rivers defending Ben Simmons’ lack of scoring 😳 pic.twitter.com/2Ii3Ne29Ea
— First Take (@FirstTake) June 1, 2021
It’s a pretty strong statement by Stephen A., especially considering that Philly finished the season with the best record in the East.
But even with how well the Sixers have played all season long, there is a sense that Ben’s particular limitations will get exposed in the playoffs. With Embiid working in the paint, will Simmons become a liability for them on the offensive end?
Against teams like the Nets, who have an abundance of shooters on the floor at any given time, having a guy in Ben who doesn’t stretch the floor could be a damning aspect of their run this year.
Nonetheless, we’ll get the chance to find out over the next few weeks.
