The Philadelphia 76ers have been fueled by one heartbreaking moment and that was Kawhi Leonard ending their season with a quadruple doink in Game 7 of the semifinals in 2019.
Leonard averaged 34.7 points on 53% shooting in those seven games against the Sixers and it was how he got those baskets that really upset the Sixers. It was almost too easy for him the entire series and Ben Simmons used that as motivation to become a better defender.
“Definitely,” said Simmons at practice ahead of Tuesday’s matchup with Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers. “It set the tone for me. That was the last time I played him. I just tried to carry that energy and consistency to now.”
Simmons has stepped up on the defensive end of the floor all season as he has done a terrific job of putting a stop to a lot of the opposition’s best scorers and he has made his presence known on that end of the floor. Not only that, but he has essentially closed games out on the defensive end of the floor. That’s something that he has improved on as the season has gone on and what happened with the Raptors is what has fueled him forward.
“I think, in general, the things that I remember about Toronto is you realize when you’re in that environment, all you have is your team,” said coach Brett Brown. “As it relates to Ben’s growth, I think him growing as a leader in the environment that I just said, understanding that you better play defense because it’s really hard to score. It’s a possession per possession fist fight and I think all of those things are thrown into a melting pot of what we learned during that Toronto series.”
The Sixers fought hard to the end and that disappointing finish fueled Simmons all summer long and that is what caused him to get better on the defensive end.
“We all let each other down,” he said. “But at the same time, we’ve got to grow. Well, I wouldn’t say let each other down. We played hard, we fought, and we took them to Game 7 in Toronto which is tough for a young team. It was a great learning experience to try and get better.”
Simmons will now get a chance to face Leonard on Tuesday in another big matchup at home right before the All-Star break. It would be big for this team to finish with three straight wins following the four-game losing skid on the road.
“We’ve got to get a win,” said the All-Star. “I think it’ll give us a lot of confidence heading into the break. Kind of like a restart button so it’s going to be a tough challenge, but we’re looking forward to it.” [lawrence-related id=25465,25453,25447]