Tag: Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons hit his first official 3-pointer and NBA fans had lots of jokes

Ben Simmons’ first 3-pointer with the Titanic song is pretty good.

Ben Simmons, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2016 NBA draft, did the once unthinkable Wednesday night as he launched a shot from behind the 3-point line and by golly the darn thing went through the hoop.

Yup, Simmons finally hit the first 3-pointer of his NBA career Wednesday night against the New York Knicks (because of course the Knicks allowed this history to happen).

Simmons hit one 3-pointer during a preseason game against a team from China, which made us all wonder if he’d be able to add this shot to his game this year. But now he has an official 3-pointer under his belt, which who knows how much that could change things for him moving forward.

Here’s the moment NBA fans will never forget:

NBA fans reacted accrordingly:

WATCH: Ben Simmons drills first career 3-pointer from the corner

Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons finally makes a 3-pointer in his career.

It has happened. It finally happened. Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons has finally made a 3-pointer. No really, a real one. In a real regular season game. Ben Simmons drilled a corner 3-pointer.

In the first quarter of Wednesday’s matchup with the New York Knicks, Simmons found himself spotting up deep in the corner, the ball found him, and he casually caught it and drilled a 3-pointer for his first career make from deep. The one thing that has been on the mind of every basketball fan and Sixers fan alike, when will Simmons make his first career 3-pointer? It finally happened on a Wednesday night in South Philadelphia.

The Sixers have needed Simmons to show off some semblance of a jump shot to help the offense no matter how supremely talented he really is and maybe this is the turning over of a new leaf. The first step is to make just one. [lawrence-related id=19684,19676,19667]

How to Watch Philadelphia 76ers, NBA Live Stream, Knicks vs 76ers, Schedule, TV Channel, Start Time

Watch the Philadelphia 76ers Live Online.

Trusting the process has finally paid off in Philadelphia. After a long rebuilding period, the 76ers are now legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference. In 2018, the young Sixers emerged as a serious threat late in the season with a remarkable 16-game win streak to close out the season. While their playoff run was cut short due to a loss to the eventual NBA champion Toronto Raptors, there’s a ton of expectations and hope for 2019. 

Watch the Philadelphia 76ers 2019-20 Season

Tonight: vs. New York Knicks, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 7:00 p.m. ET 

Local TV affiliate for the season: NBC Sports Philadelphia

Streaming option for the season: fuboTV (watch for free)

So far, so good for the Sixers. All-Star center Joel Embiid has picked up right where he left off last season. He’s averaging 22.3 points per game, while also averaging 11.8 rebounds. Couple him with offseason acquisition Al Horford, who is putting up 15.9 points and 7.4 boards per game, and they have formed one of the most formidable frontcourt tandems in the league. 

Philly isn’t just strong in the paint. In fact, the team has five players averaging double-figures in points. The Sixers also have a very solid bench to pull from in case of injury or fatigue. It’s for these reasons that many believe they’ll challenge for the top spot in the East. It won’t be easy with the likes of Milwaukee and Boston again looking strong, but there’s a ton of optimism around this talented bunch. 

Sixers November 2019 Schedule 

Tue, Nov. 12 vs. Cleveland 7:00 PM 

Wed, Nov. 13 @ Orlando 7:00 PM

Fri, Nov. 15 @ Oklahoma City 8:00 PM

Sun, Nov. 17 @ Cleveland 3:00 PM

Wed, Nov. 20 vs. New York 7:00 PM

Fri, Nov. 22 vs. San Antonio 8:00 PM

Sat, Nov. 23 vs. Miami 7:30 PM

Mon, Nov. 25 @ Toronto 7:30 PM

Wed, Nov. 27 vs. Sacramento 7:00 PM

Fri, Nov. 29 @ New York 7:30 PM

Sat, Nov. 30 vs. Indiana 7:00 PM

We recommend interesting sports viewing and streaming opportunities. If you sign up to a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.

Sixers vs. Knicks preview: Sixers look to continue home dominance

The Philadelphia 76ers return home to host the New York Knicks.

The Philadelphia 76ers return home from a 3-game road trip that saw them drop the first two games, but then salvage a win in the finale of the trip to come home with some momentum. Their opponent on Wednesday night should offer the Sixers another “get right” game for them to shake off the cobwebs a bit.

Wednesday’s opponent, the hapless New York Knicks, come in with the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference at 4-10 and they have not been able to find any real groove or footing to begin the season. This is a good chance for the Sixers to really get some momentum going into the next phase of the season.

With that being said, it’s time for the preview with everything you have come to expect:

How to watch Sixers vs. Knicks

  • Date: Wednesday, November 20
  • Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
  • Location: Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia, PA
  • TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia

Injury Report

  • Sixers: NONE
  • Knicks: OUT: Reggie Bullock(neck), Elfrid Payton(right hamstring strain) PROBABLE: RJ Barret(left thumb sprain)

Storylines

Brown working out Sixers offense

The Sixers offense has looked out of sorts to begin the early season as they begin to really figure out the best way to work this oddly constructed roster. Coach Brett Brown has an uphill battle to really figure everything out and it won’t be an easy mission to complete.

Brown stated:

I think that my problems of conern at the moment are offensively related. It’s how do you take this team and grow it to where it’s functional and purposeful and I think that I said, and now that I’m living in it I mean it even more, I think it’s going to take every bit until Christmas to get some type of rhythm beat to what we do. Along that path, we will never forget, led by me, that we are a defensive based program and everything unravels if we don’t do that.

Horford thinks the defense can be better

On the flip side of things, the Sixers are expected to be an elite defensive team and heading into Wednesday’s game, the Sixers are ranked 11th in the league in defensive rating. It is not a terrible ranking for a team so new and one trying to work out a lot of kinks, but not where the Sixers expect to be.

Al Horford believes the defense can get better as he stated:

I think our defense is good, but I think it can be a lot better. I do believe that the more games we play and the more comfortable we get, the better it will be.

The more these guys play together, the better things will get better for this team as a whole.

Prediction

The Knicks are just not a good team. Julius Randle and RJ Barrett are good talents, but the roster as a whole is oddly constructed. Unlike the Sixers, the Knicks don’t have the talent to overcome the early awkwardness of the roster’s growing pains. Mitchell Robinson presents a challenge at the rim and he will give Joel Embiid a test down low, but the Sixers are the much more talented team and they should keep their record at home nice and clean.

Pick: Sixers by double-digits

Sixers vs. Knicks season series

Game 1 November 20:

Game 2 November 29:

Game 3 January 18:

Game 4 February 27:

[lawrence-related id=19647,19638,19630]

Sixers legend Julius ‘Dr. J’ Erving has high praise for Ben Simmons

Philadelphia 76ers legend Julius Erving has high praise for All-Star Ben Simmons.

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The Philadelphia 76ers are a talented group led by a very talented point guard in All-Star Ben Simmons. The 6-foot-10 point guard has shown a very impressive blend of scoring, distribution, rebounding, and defense and his play has the Sixers in position to contend for a title in the 2019-20 season.

One of the Sixers franchise legends, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, had some high praise for the young point guard as he has been impressed with his game.

Erving stated at the team’s Crossover art exhibit on Tuesday night:

I think Ben’s proven himself, he’s an All-Star now and he has lofty goals. I think it’s always a juggling act between individual excellence and winning the championship and I think after a few years in the league and seeing the celebration of others win the championship, you want the championship, whatever it takes.

Erving knows a thing or two of coming up short multiple times in his quest to win a championship. The Sixers reached the NBA Finals in both 1980 and 1982 and fell short both times before they finally broke through in 1983 with Philadelphia. Simmons and the current Sixers can take the same path and use their past failures to fuel them on this current run.

Erving also added on Simmons:

Sometimes that means sacrificing in some way. In his case, he probably doesn’t really have to sacrifice anything, he’s very adequate defensively, and he’s a guy you want to have the ball in his hands. The lack of shooting, long range jump shots, medium range jump shots, that might or might not happen, but his impact on the game, we’ve already seen examples of the impact that he can have.

Simmons has received criticism for his lack of a jumper and his reluctance to take a shot, but his impact on the floor in other areas really can make up for that hole in his game. In the end, he will eventually have to shoot a jumper for the Sixers to succeed, but right now he is in a good spot for the team and as an individual. [lawrence-related id=19630,19605,19597]

All 20 top 10 picks by the Philadelphia 76ers since 1969

Charles Barkley, Joel Embiid, Doug Collins, Ben Simmons are among the 20 players drafted in the top 10 by the Sixers in the last 50 years.

The Philadelphia 76ers have spent plenty of time around the bottom of the NBA standings. So much so that in the last 50 seasons, they have had 20 picks in the top 10 of the NBA Draft. Some players worked out while others fizzled.

1972: Freddie Boyd

NBA Photo Library/NBAE via Getty Images

Freddie Boyd was taken fifth overall out of Oregon State. He had the misfortune of playing on a team that went 9-73 in 1972-73. Boyd played three-plus seasons in Philly and averaged double digits once, going for 10.5 points per game as a rookie.

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Implications of Brett Brown’s Australia gig on Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons’ decision on whether to participate in the 2020 Olympics or not will now come with increased scrutiny.

The Philadelphia 76ers are now firmly entrenched in the NBA season, but Tuesday provided some non-NBA news as it was announced that head coach Brett Brown would be named the coach of Australia’s national team, leading it in the 2020 Olympics.

While that’s great news for Brown, the announcement could have some implications for the Sixers. As you probably know, Sixers’ star Ben Simmons is an Australian and was slated to play for the national team in last summer’s FIBA World Cup before pulling out to focus on his training for the upcoming NBA season.

So, it’s fair to wonder if Simmons’ decision on whether to participate in the 2020 Olympics serves as a barometer for his relationship with his head coach.

On the surface, it would seem that Simmons would be thrilled to join his NBA coach with an opportunity to represent his country at the Olympics. You would think that giving Brown the position would help to entice Simmons to play, and it’s hard not to believe that line of thinking didn’t play a role in the Australian’s decision making.

All indications are that the relationship between Simmons and Brown is a good one, and one would think that the scenario described above will come to fruition.

It’s also worth noting that Simmons indicated he plans on playing in the Olympics when he announced his decision to skip the World Cup.

But what if Simmons still elects not to play?

In fairness, he would have a number of legitimate reasons to not participate. He could cite his health/desire to rest, or, like last summer, choose to focus on preparations for his NBA season. Still, electing not to play would create some speculation about his relationship with his head coach.

There are a lot of factors that will ultimately play into Simmons’ decision, not the least of which is how this Sixers season ultimately plays out and how far into the spring and (hopefully) summer the team plays. A lot can change over the course of an NBA season, and frankly, the team’s play through 13 games has produced more questions than answers.

Regardless, Sixers fans will be keeping a close eye on Simmons’ decision regarding the Olympics next summer. If he elects not to play, expect the speculation to run wild. [lawrence-related id=19539,19486,19418,19363]

Joel Embiid on Ben Simmons: ‘We are going to need him to shoot’

Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid says the Sixers will need Ben Simmons to shoot the ball for them to win games.

Much has been made about the Philadelphia 76ers and their lack of spacing. The No. 1 culprit of that problem has been point guard Ben Simmons who remains reluctant to take jump shots. The supremely talented three-year player from Australia worked hard on his jumper during offseason, but 13 games into the 2019-20 season, he has yet to take attempt one.

That hasn’t stopped the All-Star from averaging 13.7 points, 7.1 assists, and 6.0 rebounds in a display of his all-around game. Simmons has the respect from his peers, including Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love, who gave him a lot of praise after the Sixers knocked off the Cavs on Sunday.

At the end of the day, the Sixers will need Simmons to come up with some type of jump shot if the team intends to take the next step in the Eastern Conference toward the NBA title they’re chasing.

Superstar Joel Embiid discussed this with the Inquirer.com’s Keith Pompey, stating:

But you know, that is him. He is comfortable playing certain ways. For us to win, we are going to need him to shoot. But you know, I am fine with him playing his game, not forcing anything.

“But hopefully, at some point, I am sure he is going to pick it up.

Embiid is absolutely right. As talented and as impressive as Simmons is, the Sixers really need him to start knocking down jump shots to help the spacing issue. He doesn’t need to be pulling up for 30-footers like he’s Stephen Curry or something. If he can provide some semblance of a midrange shot, it will go a long way in helping the Sixers offense move forward.

Coach Brett Brown has said in the past that Simmons’ defense should be the focus, and that may be so. But Brown also alluded to the fact that Simmons’ jumper has to be there when the playoffs come around in April and May.  [lawrence-related id=19474,19465,19457]

Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris react to Sixers win over Cavaliers

The Philadelphia 76ers duo of Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris react to a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

It was a regular game in November, but it felt like more than that. It really felt as if the Philadelphia 76ers really needed to win this one. Their urgency on Sunday showed that they felt the same way in a 114-95 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Sixers led by as many as 31 and held the Cavaliers to 37.8% shooting as they suffocated them defensively. The defense then fueled the offense as Philadelphia shot 54.8% from the floor in comparison.

It was a performance that was really needed after the team dropped five of their previous seven games and it almost seemed as if the sky was falling. Ben Simmons, who had 10 points and 11 assists, liked the team’s attitude coming into the game as he stated:

We just had to lock in. Everybody knew what we needed to do. Everybody came in with the same mindset. We just got to finish the right way. Regardless of what happened on this trip, we got to stay focused and locked in each day and try to get better.

The Sixers also received a good sign from Tobias Harris as he had 27 points on 12-for-14 shooting to lead Philadelphia. It was a good performance from him after he was mired in a long slump that really affected his, and the team’s, performance.

Harris stated:

I just took what was there for me…Took what the defense gave me. I just got in a flow and a good rhythm, so obviously it feels good to be 100% health-wise and will look to keep it going.

The Sixers will now look to carry this back home on Wednesday when they return home to face the New York Knicks. [lawrence-related id=19425,19418,19412]