The Philadelphia 76ers are led by two big-time All-Star players in Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. Yet, many people question if they will even work out or if they fit together on the floor.
This was the hot debate on Thursday’s edition of First Take on ESPN and Max Kellerman believes that Simmons is the team’s best player, not Embiid and they need to build around him. He compared him to Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Kellerman said:
I don’t think he’s the best player on this team anymore to tell you thr truth. It’s not that Simmons and Embiid can’t co-exist, they co-exist very well, people are misunderstanding what I’m saying about this. They are better with two All-Star, almost superstars, on the same team than only one, I get that. My argument has always been in order for Simmons to fully become what he might become, he needs his own team built around him like the Greek Freak has a team built around him. The difference between Simmons and the Freak is Simmons has better handles and he’s even better passer.
What the Bucks did in Milwaukee was surround Antetokounmpo with accomplished shooters like Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe, Brook Lopez, Wesley Matthews, and others. That’s what Kellerman says the Sixers should do around Simmons.
He added:
I think they’ll win even better the way the Bucks are doing now if they build around Simmons because they’ll unlock his potential. I’ll give you an example, not that the Bulls would ever be better without Michael Jordan, but it was unclear to some just how great Scottie Pippen was when he was in his prime because he played with Michael Jordan…in that case, that’s different because you guys (looking at Pippen) worked well together. In this case, I don’t even know that Embiid is the best player on the team anymore. It’s Simmons hustling on defense, it’s Simmons making the offense work.
Pippen, who is a legend in his own right with the Bulls, agreed with Kellerman. He said:
I do think that Ben Simmons is the best player on the Philadelphia team because he does so much. He makes all the players better, he allows all of the players to flourish because of what he can do as a basketball player. A lot like LeBron (James), very dominant on the offensive end, a lot of downhill, he’s one of those guys that if the floor is open, he will flourish and when Embiid is in there, he does kind of hold Ben Simmons back a bit.
Philadelphia went 6-3 during the nine games that Embiid recently missed with a torn ligament in his left hand and it was due to Simmons’ mastery, but they needed the big man to get stops defensively.
Others don’t feel the same way as Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers recently compared Simmons and Embiid to Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar back in the day. What the Sixers decide to do with this talented, yet mercurial, duo remains to be seen. [lawrence-related id=25709,25700,25693]