The big talk and the big debate surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers is always the same. Everybody talks about the topic of “Can Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid coexist on the same court?” and sure, there is some fuel to that fire, but in reality, they both have been able to have some success together in their careers.
However, it just seems that every talking head in the sports television and radio world has debated this topic until the cows come home. This caused both players to speak out at All-Star weekend in Chicago as they gave their opinions on the talk surrounding their fit and they both shot it down fairly quickly.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” said coach Brett Brown at practice on Wednesday. “It kind of is newsworthy because there’s so much talk about, ‘Can they coexist? How do they play together?’ We’re going to play fast going to play slow, and they coexist as it relates to like, you know, people get along and coexist just fine.”
It is true, Simmons likes to play fast and use his speed and athletic ability to get up and down the floor, but as it relates to Embiid, they have shown in the past that they can bounce off each other and make this all work on offense.
“It’s true sometimes you know like Ben’s just a runaway train and lately he’s been this wrecking ball and I say that with tremendous sort of praise like he’s defensively and offensively he’s a wrecking ball,” Brown added. “You know, Joel is Joel and at a post to this and that and so the narrative kind of grows and swells for different reasons from time to time.”
For the Sixers to make this work, they need both of these guys on the same page. For the time being, they definitely are and to speak out on the issue and defending the team didn’t exactly made Brown a happy coach, but it was something that needed to be said.
“To be in Chicago and to, you know, talk about one another in that environment on different teams,” he finished with. “It didn’t surprise me, I would be lying if I didn’t say I was thrilled to read what I read but it doesn’t surprise me. I just think it validates to the rest of the sort of basketball hoop world that life’s not as bad as sometimes it’s made out to be here in Philadelphia.”
Teammate Tobias Harris had his eye on what was going on in Chicago as well and he expressed his thoughts on the two stars coexisting.
“We’ve all talked about it,” he said. “Those two are the guys that keep this thing moving and they really have to embrace each other and have the respect for each other’s games. Their games are different, their games are different styles, but in a way, they do complement each other on the floor. I’ve said that since the day that I got here and I truly believe it.”
The Sixers are the 5 seed in the East as they head into the final 27 games that begins by hosting the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday. [lawrence-related id=26071,26059,26048]