Tag: Ben Simmons

Entire Sixers starting five ranked in top 50 of real plus-minus stat

The Philadelphia 76ers have their entire starting five ranked in the top 50 in real plus-minus.

Much has been made of the Philadelphia 76ers jumbo-sized lineup led by Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. There have been questions about spacing and criticisms about how it will all work and those questions still remain, but the early returns have been nice to see.

As ESPN released their first real plus-minus rankings for the 2019-20 season, the entirety of that Sixers starting lineup ranked in the top 50 in the rankings. Real plus-minus is a stat that estimates a player’s on-court impact in team performance measured in net point differential per 100 offensive and defensive possessions.

Simmons was ranked 12th at 3.90, Tobias Harris 16th at 3.61, Josh Richardson 37th at 2.73, Al Horford 43rd at 2.62, and Embiid rounded out the rankings at 44 at 2.60.

The only other team in the NBA with five guys ranked in the top 50 are the Milwaukee Bucks who are on a 15 game winning streak entering Wednesday night’s play. The Sixers and the Bucks will be fighting for Eastern Conference supremacy all season as they fight for a spot in the NBA Finals in June. [lawrence-related id=21109,21092,21085]

Sixers’ Ben Simmons excited for Celtics matchup, Al Horford’s return

Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons is looking forward to a matchup with the Boston Celtics and Al Horford’s return.

Any matchup between two rivals like the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics is always met with a lot of anticipation and a lot of hype, but Thursday’s game has a little extra oomph for the Sixers.

Thursday will mark Al Horford’s first game back in Boston since signing with the Sixers over the summer and it promises to be a bit emotional. Horford spent three seasons with the Celtics averaging 13.5 points and 7.0 rebounds while helping Boston reach the Eastern Conference Finals for two of those three seasons.

“For me, I want to win just based on it’s the Celtics,” Simmons said. “But on top of that, it’s Al’s former team. He was a great player there, but it would be amazing to get that one, too.”

The game itself will also mean a lot to All-Star point guard Ben Simmons who was the subject of a joke made by Celtics guard Jaylen Brown. It’s Boston and Philadelphia, it’s a game that means something extra every time.

“It’ll be fun,” the All-Star point guard added. “I love playing in Boston and Al is returning. It’s going to be loud in there, but I’m looking forward to it.”

The Sixers and the Celtics played back on opening night in Philadelphia and the Sixers came away with a win thanks to the defense of Josh Richardson and Matisse Thybulle on Celtics star Kemba Walker. While Thursday’s matchup will be focused more on Horford’s return, one can bet that Walker will certainly figure into the result of this one. [lawrence-related id=21092,21085,21068]

Sixers coach Brett Brown praises Ben Simmons for ‘elite’ defensive work

Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown praises Ben Simmons for his work on the defensive end.

The case of Ben Simmons has been a curious one. On one hand, he’s an All-Star and is growing as a point guard, but on the other hand, he needs to continue to add to his offensive game.

In Tuesday’s 97-92 win over the Denver Nuggets, Simmons displayed an excellent floor game scoring seven points with nine assists and seven rebounds. The stat line doesn’t jump out at anyone, but it was his work on the defensive end and continued development as a point guard that caught the eye of coach Brett Brown.

“I think if you look at the stat sheet, it might not reveal what he did defensively in the second half,” said Brown. “I thought defensively in the second half, he was elite. I, too, see an emerging more sophisticated point guard, somebody that’s understanding a little bit better about who needs the ball and recognizing clocks and 2-for-1 type stuff. I don’t think his stat sheet wouldn’t reflect really how well I think he played, especially defensively.”

According to NBA.com/stats, Nuggets players shot a combined 3-for-9 when defended by Simmons and his play on that end of the floor really helped the Sixers hold the Nuggets to six points over the final seven minutes and preserve a win to improve to 13-0 at home.

“Locking in,” said Simmons. “I take a lot of pride in my defense, so I love guarding those guys and trying to get steals and deflections and things like that. It was really a team effort, everybody locking in.”

Those steals and deflections help fuel the Sixers fast break as they can get out and run more which is a plus for the athletes on this team. Philadelphia is able to get out in transition, led by Simmons, and use athletes like Josh Richardson and Tobias Harris to finish at the basket.

“Just moving it with pace,” Simmons added. “I was trying to get some boards and get out quick, get a little bit of momentum going for our team. And guys were running — it was great. Guys were getting deflections and running.”

The development and growth of Simmons will be a gradual one and there will still be more growing pains, but his current developmental track in other areas of his game are noticeable and they’re big factors in the grand scheme of things.

Philadelphia now heads to Boston on Thursday to take on the rival Celtics at the TD Garden. [lawrence-related id=21085,21068,21056]

Celtics’ Jaylen Brown makes joke at Sixers star Ben Simmons’ expense

Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown makes a joke out of Ben Simmons.

The Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics have been big rivals for a long time. There is certainly no love lost between the two historic franchises in the NBA as the teams prepare for a matchup on Thursday in Boston.

On Monday night, Celtics star Jaylen Brown added fuel to the fire as he made a joke out of Ben Simmons’ offensive game when asked about the production of Celtics rookie Grant Williams.

After Boston knocked off the Cleveland Cavaliers 110-88, Brown was asked about Williams’ recent production after a streak where he was scoreless over a stretch of four games in late November and he said they started calling him Ben Simmons. He was referring to Simmons’ scoreless game against the Celtics in the 2018 playoffs.

This is one of those juicy quotes that adds to the hype and the rivalry for the game on Thursday at the TD Garden. Simmons has been very aggressive in recent games and if that’s the case on Thursday, then he should be extra motivated to want to have a big game for his team much like in the playoffs when then-Brooklyn Nets forward Jared Dudley called him “average” in the half-court. He has a history of responding when he has to. [lawrence-related id=20980,20973,20951]

Matisse Thybulle shooting better off catch than he ever did in college

Philadelphia 76ers rookie wing Matisse Thybulle was drafted for his defensive prowess but has also improved on the offensive side as well.

Philadelphia 76ers rookie wing Matisse Thybulle was drafted for his defensive prowess but has also improved on the offensive side as well.

Thybulle was electrifying during a victory against the defending-champion Toronto Raptors, hitting five three-pointers on December 8. The rookie ended the night with a career-high 20 points.

After 23 games, the first-year player is shooting 44.0 percent from three-point range. That is currently quite a bit better than league average (35.7 percent) in the NBA. Despite the fact that the college three-point line is shorter than the professional distance, that mark is also better than he ever shot in the NCAA.

The 23-year-old has never been a player who has been able to create his own shot from the perimeter. During his four-year college tenure at the University of Washington, per Hoop-Math, over 90 percent of his successful shots from beyond the arc were assisted.

This season, all of the 22 three-pointers he has made have come off an assist. That means he relies on his teammates for his outside attempts, used mostly as a spot-up finisher for Philadelphia.

Especially considering how much attention is required by opposing defenses for Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, there are often open shooters waiting on the perimeter.

For example, watch how much space Thybulle has as Simmons drives to the basket. While he may have been able to continue for a contested shot near the rim, he instead finds Thybulle for a catch-and-shoot three-pointer.

As such, it is no surprise that the rookie is averaging 5.8 three-point attempts per 36 minutes when playing alongside Simmons but just 2.6 per 36 when he has not been on the court with the point forward.

More than two-thirds (68.1 percent) of his connected three-pointers have hit while sharing the floor with Simmons — who has actually assisted on nearly half (45.5 percent) of his long-distance makes. Watch one of them during the victory over Toronto:

Thybulle is averaging 1.16 points per possession (75th percentile) as a spot-up shooter for the Sixers. The wing is shooting 18-for-36 (50.0 percent) on these looks.

During his tenure for the Washington Huskies, he was just 178-for-471 (37.8 percent) on spot-up possessions. He ranked below the 50th percentile in both his junior and senior campaigns.

You can see the progress he has made shooting off the catch and as a spot-up shooter below:

Overall, Philadelphia currently ranks fourth-best among all NBA teams in spot-up efficiency this season. Thybulle has both been a beneficiary and also played a big role in the team’s success in these opportunities.

Before the draft, that is exactly what Jonathan Wasserman projected for the wing (via Bleacher Report):

“Optimizing Thybulle means surrounding him with scorers and playmakers so he can receive open catch-and-shoot looks and play to his strengths as a spot-up threat and defensive ace.”

Thybulle has found a role and a niché in the offense for the Sixers and will have even more trust from his teammates and coaches get more used to his style.

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Sixers dominate for three quarters, avoid collapse in 110-104 win over Raptors

The way you view the Sixers win over the Raptors on Sunday night will depend on whether you’re an optimist or a pessimist.

The Philadelphia 76ers held on for one of the stranger wins you’ll ever see Sunday night, defeating the Toronto Raptors 110-104 at Wells Fargo Center.

The Sixers were in absolute control of the game for 45 minutes. They took a modest five-point lead after the first quarter and extended that to a 15-point margin at the halftime break. Philadelphia continued to build the lead in the third quarter, taking an 18-point advantage into the final quarter.

Things remained on track for much of the fourth, with the lead getting a large as 20, and a Matisse Thybulle three put them up 17 with just 3:16 to go. Then, the Sixers flirted with disaster.

Toronto went to a full-court press and the Sixers were laughably bad handling it. They began to turn the ball over in every way imaginable: steals, bad passes, backcourt violations, eight-second violations. Joel Embiid turned it over on three straight possessions and was yanked from the game. As you would expect, the lead started to disappear and the Raptors closed to within five. Fortunately, Toronto simply ran out of time and the Sixers were able to escape.

Sixers fans are left with a bit of a weird feeling because as bad as the final three minutes were, the previous 45 were very good.

Tobias Harris was excellent, leading the team with 26 points to go with six rebounds and three assists.

Ben Simmons narrowly missed a triple-double, piling up 16 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists.

Joel Embiid had 10 points, eight rebounds, six assists, a steal, and a block, but those late turnovers soured his performance and he finished with seven giveaways.

Al Horford chipped in 11 points, five assists, four rebounds, two blocks and a steal. His presence was invaluable, and two plays really stand out in demonstrating that point. Twice Horford found himself as the only man back on a Toronto fast break, and each time he prevented a bucket, including once on a 4-on-1.

Matisse Thybulle led a nice effort from the bench. He finished with a career-high 20 points on 5-of-8 from 3. He also had three assists, three steals, two rebounds, and a block. James Ennis III chipped in 11, while Mike Scott had eight and Raul Neto had five.

After starting the game 1-of-9 from beyond the arc, the Sixers finished a solid 14-of-32 (43.8%). They dished out 31 assists on 40 made baskets and the defense was very good for much of the game.

It’s a shame that an overall really good performance from the Sixers will be marred somewhat by the shaky finish. But at the end of the day, they controlled virtually the entire game against a very good Raptors team that has historically given them a lot of problems. There was a lot to like about the showing, and hopefully the ending will prove to be a valuable lesson for the team.

The Sixers will continue their homestand on Tuesday when they host the Denver Nuggets.

 

Sixers vs. Raptors preview: Sixers get another crack at the champs

The Philadelphia 76ers host the Toronto Raptors on Sunday at home.

The Philadelphia 76ers have fallen victim to the Toronto Raptors for quite some time now. They haven’t been able to get a regular-season win in Toronto since 2012 and they have not been able to figure out the hex the franchise holds on them after losing in the playoffs in the semifinals.

After losing the first matchup between the two teams in Toronto on November 25, the Raptors now invade the Wells Fargo Center on Sunday as the Sixers will look to keep their unblemished record at home alive.

It’s now time for the game preview with everything included:

How to watch Sixers vs. Raptors

  • Date: Sunday, December 8
  • Time: 6:00 p.m. EST
  • Location: Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia, PA
  • TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia

Injury Report

  • Sixers: NOT YET SUBMITTED
  • Raptors: OUT: Stanley Johnson(left groin), Patrick McCaw(left knee), Matt Thomas(left finger)

Storylines

Sixers consider Raptors matchup highly

It may just be a regular game in December in the grand scheme of things, but for the Sixers, this one means a bit more to them. Considering the recent history and everything that has transpired since then, it’s easy to figure out why they won’t be taking this one lightly.

Coach Brett Brown put it:

“To dust it off and say it’s just another game, I will not say that at all,” said Brown. “It would be disingenuous, our recent history with them, you remember. It’s true, they are the NBA champs. The game that we lost in Toronto doesn’t go away quickly.”

Brown wants Simmons to shoot more

In Saturday’s easy 141-94 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Ben Simmons was the story of the game not only for his career-high 34 points, but for the fact that he made his second 3-pointer of the season, and his career. The shooting is something that was always going to come gradually and slowly, but Brown wants to expedite it a bit by asking him to shoot more in games.

“This is what I want, I want a 3-point shot a game, minimum,” said Brown. “The pull-up 2’s, I’m fine with, whatever, he’s open, but I’m interested in the 3-point shot.”

Simmons has been scrutinized for not taking more shots from beyond the arc, but he insists he’s getting more comfortable on his shot.

“I’m getting more comfortable,” said the point guard. “Obviously throughout time just getting more comfortable with the game, just learning my spots, and just adjusting.”

Prediction

The status of Joel Embiid, who missed Saturday’s win over Cleveland with a left hip contusion, is still up in the air, but this is one game he’d probably love to play in. Embiid went scoreless in the team’s previous matchup in the season and he would love another crack at Marc Gasol and Pascal Siakam, as would a lot of the Sixers. If Embiid can’t go, it will be up to Simmons, Tobias Harris, and Al Horford to lead the team in this one. Even with all of that, it seems as if the Raptors have their number right now. This will be a tough one to call, but gut feeling says Toronto finds a way to win.

Pick: Raptors in a close one

Sixers vs. Raptors season series

Game 1 November 25: 101-96 Raptors

Game 2 December 8:

Game 3 January 22:

Game 4 March 18:

[lawrence-related id=20822,20816,20809]

Ben Simmons, Sixers will not treat Raptors matchup as just another game

The Philadelphia 76ers will not treat their matchup with the Toronto Raptors on Sunday as just another game.

The Philadelphia 76ers finished off the Cleveland Cavaliers rather easily on Saturday night as they led by as many as 53 on their way to an easy 141-94 win led by a career-high 34 points from Ben Simmons. Now that that one is out of the way, the focus now shifts to a big rival: the Toronto Raptors.

The Raptors, of course, knocked off the Sixers in seven tough games that will forever be marked by the shot by Kawhi Leonard. The Raptors then beat the Sixers in their first matchup since Game 7 as they held Joel Embiid scoreless on the night.

As they head to the Wells Fargo Center on Sunday for a rematch, the Sixers will be ready for them. Coach Brett Brown certainly will not treat this one as a regular game. This one means something to this team.

“To dust it off and say it’s just another game, I will not say that at all,” said Brown. “It would be disingenuous, our recent history with them, you remember. It’s true, they are the NBA champs. The game that we lost in Toronto doesn’t go away quickly.”

The game they lost in Toronto not only lingers with Brown, but with Simmons as well.

“They’ve already beat us,” said Simmons. “It’s 1-0. We’d love to get this one. We need it”

 

Simmons only played 25:39 against the Cavs on Saturday and playing such a small amount of minutes keeps him fresh for the big game on Sunday.

“That was huge, that was huge,” he added. “Just making sure everybody was locked in throughout the game regardless if somebody’s playing 20 to 10 minutes. Just making sure everyone has that same mindset.”

Brown was happy with the team’s ability to blowout Cleveland on Saturday and make quick work of the Cavs. It means his guys are able to rest up for Sunday.

We’re going to figure out what level of strength we will be at and it’s true, they’re sitting somewhere in Philadelphia in a hotel room waiting to come in and play us,” Brown added. “I do think that the margin we were able to establish the minutes won’t impact tomorrow, but for sure I know who we’re playing tomorrow.”

Round 2 of Sixers and Raptors is on Sunday from the Wells Fargo Center. [lawrence-related id=20831,20816,20809]

Brett Brown on Ben Simmons: ‘I want a 3-point shot a game, minimum’

Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown would like Ben Simmons to take one 3-point shot a game.

The Philadelphia 76ers romped their way to an easy 141-94 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night despite being down two starters to fully bounce back from a disappointing loss to the Washington Wizards on Thursday. It was a fully dominant game as the Sixers shot 63.3% from the floor and they made 11-for-26 from deep in the win.

Ben Simmons scored a career-high 34 points, dished out seven assists, and he knocked down a 3-pointer and that is the story that is on everyone’s mind. Considering Simmons had only made one 3-pointer in his career coming into the game and it’s something that will be focused on and dissected moving forward, it’s a big part of his game.

Coach Brett Brown was happy with what he saw and then he issued a proclamation for him.

“This is what I want, I want a 3-point shot a game, minimum,” said Brown. “The pull-up 2’s, I’m fine with, whatever, he’s open, but I’m interested in the 3-point shot.”

Simmons has been hesitant to take a 3-point shot since making his first one against the New York Knicks back in November and him making one on Saturday is something essential for them moving forward. Is it still overblown in Brown’s eyes?

“The drama of it is overblown,” the coach added. “The reality that he can shoot and ultimately, it will need to come into his game in a more pronounced way just from an attempt standpoint, that’s not overblown. I think the drama surrounding it is completely overblown.”

Simmons had worked on his shot all throughout the summer and, like with anything, this will take time. Taking a 3-pointer a game will be a nice step forward for him.

“I’m getting more comfortable,” said the point guard. “Obviously throughout time just getting more comfortable with the game, just learning my spots, and just adjusting,”

The All-Star also went to the foul line 12 times and made nine of them. That’s another area in his game that Brown would like to see grow.

“The mentality that he has when he’s turning corners and taking that long step, that gather step and bringing his shoulders to the rim, trying to dunk or finish tight will equal higher efficiency or getting fouled,” the coach finished with. “That’s the world that interests me the most, those two things. Then you say ‘OK what’s the number?’ I immediately throw out eight. That’s a number that I think is attainable.”

The Sixers will need Simmons to continue taking steps forward to continue their quest towards a championship. [lawrence-related id=20816,20799,20778]

Ben Simmons, Sixers dominate Cavaliers in 141-94 romp

Ben Simmons put forth a sparkling performance, leading the Sixers to a dominant victory over the Cavaliers.

No Joel Embiid, no Josh Richardson, no problem. Down two starters, the Philadelphia 76ers bounced back from Thursday’s disappointing effort against the Washington Wizards in about the best way possible. Led by their other franchise cornerstone, Ben Simmons, the Sixers dominated the Cleveland Cavaliers from the opening tip and romped to a 141-94 win.

The Sixers doubled up the Cavs in the first quarter, taking a 36-18 lead. Somehow, the second quarter got worse for Cleveland, who again managed only 18 points but surrendered 41, highlighted by Ben Simmons’ second 3-pointer of the year. As a result, the Sixers carried a franchise-record 41-point lead into the break.

There was no taking their foot off the gas, as the Sixers added five to the margin in the third, and the reserves added one more in the fourth to give the Sixers a 47-point win.

It would be hard to overstate how impressive Ben Simmons’ performance was. In just 26 minutes of action, he poured in a career-high 34 points shooting 12-of-14 from the floor, 9-of-12 from the free-throw line, and yes, 1-of-1 from beyond the arc. He added seven assists, three rebounds, two steals, and two blocks and turned the ball over just once.

Mike Scott, who got the start in place of Embiid, broke out of his slump with 21 points and six rebounds.

Tobias Harris added 15, Al Horford had 8, and Furkan Korkmaz had five in place of Josh Richardson.

Several members of the bench made the most of the extended minutes they received courtesy of the big margin. Trey Burke poured in 21 points and dished out eight assists and Kyle O’Quinn managed a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds.

After what happened Thursday in Washington, it was great to see the team come out focused and not taking the Cavs lightly. Simmons did an excellent job setting the tone and leading the way, especially with the team missing two starters. The Sixers did a much better job taking care of the ball, committing just eight turnovers.

One final positive from Saturday’s game is that building a huge lead allowed Brett Brown to limit the minutes of the starters, which is big with a tough game with the Raptors looming tomorrow. No Sixers starter played more than 26 minutes.

The Sixers moved to 11-0 at home on the season and will try to build on Saturday’s performance against the Raptors on Sunday. That game is a 6:00 tip.