Throughout his time with the 76ers, Ben Simmons has always been one of the key cogs in Philadelphia’s offense. His ability to drive to the rim and find open shooters with his playmaking allowed him to be one of the league’s leaders in 3PT assists every year.
While the numbers would suggest that Ben Simmons is elite at creating perimeter chances for his teammates, Tom Haberstroh has recently suggested that Simmons’ gaudy assist numbers don’t mean that he’s the one making those opportunities. Haberstroh pointed out that the 76ers have the best offense in the league this year thus far, and that they are leading the NBA in 3PT%.
Important: Ben Simmons is one of the league's top guys in 3-point assists every season, but that doesn't mean he's "creating" those 3-pointers.
In his absence this season, the Sixers so far have the No. 1 offense in the NBA and the league-leading 3FG%. 3-pointers are way up.
— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) November 8, 2021
Important: Ben Simmons is one of the league’s top guys in 3-point assists every season, but that doesn’t mean he’s “creating” those 3-pointers.
In his absence this season, the Sixers so far have the No. 1 offense in the NBA and the league-leading 3FG%. 3-pointers are way up.
The Philadelphia 76ers have a 116.5 offensive rating and are shooting 39.4% from beyond the arc as a team. It is clear that they are doing fine without Ben Simmons thus far, and are currently the 1st seed in the Eastern Conference with an 8-2 record. While the numbers don’t mean that Simmons provides no value to the team, they do show that the 76ers have been able to play relatively well without their primary point guard.
There’s no question that the 76ers are better with Ben Simmons rather than without him because Simmons is still a talented player who affects the game in many ways. Simmons hasn’t yet suited up for the team this year, citing his mental unreadiness to play. Joel Embiid has previously made statements in support of Ben Simmons, telling 76ers fans that Simmons is “still our brother” prior to a game against the Brooklyn Nets. Hopefully, we see Ben Simmons suit up soon, but the 76ers have shown that they can manage even with the 3-time All-Star sidelined for mental health reasons.
