Tag: Ben Simmons

Kevin Love has praise for Sixers’ Ben Simmons: ‘Pretty devastating’

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love has high praise for Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons is a polarizing figure. He’s a uniquely talented player who can do it all on the basketball court, but he receives criticism for his lack of a jump shot and for not being aggressive enough.

On Sunday, Simmons had 10 points and 11 assists in a 114-95 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers and he did a solid job on the defensive end of the floor. He and fellow All-Star Joel Embiid worked the pick-and-roll game well and it was tough for the Cavs to stop.

Simmons’ play earned him high praise form Cavs star Kevin Love as he stated:

He does, especially when you try and have cross matchups against him you try to show him different defenders, but he poses different problems for different guys. Especially in transition, he is pretty devastating when he comes off that pick and roll he might throw it to Joel, and Joel will find him on the duck in being a willing passer. So he just creates a lot of mismatches and different places on the floor he can be really effective.

There’s a reason why Simmons has the accolades he has received in his career along with the respect from his peers and his teammates. He is not going to score 30+ every night like Kobe Bryant or something, he’s going to give you a little bit of everything on both ends of the floor. [lawrence-related id=19412,19383,19377]

Sixers vs. Cavaliers preview: Sixers look to salvage a game on road trip

The Philadelphia 76ers visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday looking to end a road skid.

The Philadelphia 76ers complete their brief 3-game road trip by paying a visit to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. They will need a win to salvage what has been a lost road trip so far as they dropped the first two of the trip to the Orlando Magic and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Sixers and the Cavs matched up just five days ago in Philadelphia with the Sixers gutting out a 98-97 win on a last-second Joel Embiid dunk and a final Sixers stop. To get a win on Sunday, they will have to end their road woes as they have dropped five in a row while playing in other team’s buildings.

With that being said, it’s time for the preview with the works:

How to watch Sixers vs. Cavaliers

  • Date: Sunday, November 17
  • Time: 3:00 p.m. EST
  • Location: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse Cleveland, OH
  • TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia+

Injury report

  • Sixers: NONE
  • Cavaliers: OUT: John Hensons(right hamstring strain), Dylan Windler(left lower leg stress reaction), DOUBTFUL: Larry Nance Jr.(left thumb sprain) PROBABLE: Ante Zizic(left foot plantar fascia)

Storylines

Brown believes Sixers can turn it around

It is very early in the season for panic even though the Sixers have lost five of their past seven games following a 5-0 start to the season. A lot has been made of their struggles in recent games, especially in the shooting department, but coach Brett Brown is confident the team can turn things around and get back on track stating on Friday:

If you’re sick and you don’t know why, then that’s a problem. We’re in a tough spot right now, but it’s a long year. I think that it doesn’t take much for me to understand where we have to get better, and it’s really that simple. If you’re scratching your head really confused then I think we’ve got some problems, but that’s not what I’m doing. I think our guys understandthe areas that matter most that can best impact changing the way things are going to get back on the winning side.

Simmons receiving advice

All-Star point guard Ben Simmons still hears criticism about his game as he has yet to take an outside jump shot and he has had some issues in terms of his aggressiveness on the offensive end. On Friday in their matchup with the Thunder, he became a bit more aggressive in the second half and was playing well before fouling out.

Simmons said he received some advice from his teammates as he stated:

“I just played. I went to the hole, was being aggressive and tried to make the right play every time. And just being me. J-Rich [Josh Richardson] and Joel [Embiid] told me to keep playing that way and get out of my own way.”

Prediction

The Sixers are a desperate team. They’re frustrated and they want to get back on the winning track. Expect them to play with some type of inspired ball on Sunday and as long as they contain the Cavs Big 3 of Collin Sexton, Kevin Love, and Tristan Thompson, they should come out on top. It’s only November so it’s really tough to really call a game a “must-win” this early in the season, but this one is as close as it gets.

Pick: Sixers in a close one

Sixers vs. Cavaliers season series

Game 1 November 12: 98-97 Sixers

Game 2 November 17:

Game 3 December 7:

Game 4 February 26: 

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Ben Simmons on advice received from Sixers: ‘get out of my own way’

Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons was told to get out of his own way against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons was having a slow start on Friday night. He had only two shot attempts and he almost seemed invisible out there on the floor. Then, he received some advice from some teammates and he was able to become his All-Star self again.

Simmons finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists in Friday’s 127-119 overtime loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but his performance in the second half was much better than the first half. He was more aggressive and he helped to give the Sixers the lead before the Thunder put on their rally.

Simmons stated after the game:

“I just played. I went to the hole, was being aggressive and tried to make the right play every time. And just being me. J-Rich [Josh Richardson] and Joel [Embiid] told me to keep playing that way and get out of my own way.”

Philadelphia is a different team when Simmons is aggressive and making plays for both himself and his teammates. It’s a major reason why the Sixers were able to work their way back into the game and have a legitimate chance at winning the game. When he fouled out in overtime, it threw everything out of wack a bit and they were not able to recover.

The Sixers need him to remain aggressive for a full 48 minutes and he will have another chance to make a big impact on Sunday when they finish up the road trip by visiting the Cleveland Cavaliers. Philadelphia will need a win to avoid going winless on the 3-game trip. [lawrence-related id=19354,19347,19339]

Point guards aren’t what they used to be and here’s why

LeBron James and Luka Doncic are the best point guards in the NBA…but they’re also forwards.

We’ve seen positionless basketball take hold of the league since the days of LeBron James’ Miami Heat. The Warriors were the apex of that with Curry playing off ball and Draymond Green running point.

Now, we see that style of play more than ever in so many different ways. It isn’t just centers stepping out and playing the perimeter like Chris Bosh did back then. Now, we’ve got small forwards shifting to the four, everybody switching every thing on defense and gigantic centers stepping out and shooting threes.

Maybe the most impressive trend, and probably the one we take for granted the most, is the evolution of the lead ball handler in the NBA. No longer is it just reserved for guards. More and more, teams are just handing the ball to their best player and letting them cook.

It’s been a joy to watch over the last decade and, honestly, it’s something we probably don’t think about so much because we’re so spoiled by LeBron James.

Just taking a look at the league’s leading ball handlers over the last decade, though, shows us that this isn’t what we’re used to.

Ball handler isn’t the same as point guard anymore

Let’s hop back in time for a bit. Five years ago in the 2014-15 NBA season, there was only one non-guard that ranked in the league’s top 20 assist leaders and, of course, it was James.

He and Blake Griffin were also the only two non-guards ranked in the top 20 in touches per game around the league. They were 10th and 12, respectively.

Let’s fast forward back to today. Five years later, three forwards are the league’s leaders in touches per game starting with Luka Doncic (103.3), James (97.1) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (91.0). It’s not a coincidence that those three are leading most people’s MVP conversations right now.

There’s more. James and Doncic rank first and second in the league in assists. Antetokounmpo ranks 17th and leads his team with 6.5 assists per game. Those three, along with Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler, are the only non-guards that rank in the top 20 in assists.

If we go buy the old school basketball rule of “you are what you guard” then, technically, all of those guys with the exception of the 6’10 Simmons are playing forward. Yet, they’ve all got the entire offense at their fingertips.

It’s not just a gimmick, either. They’re all actually good at it. I mean, look at these numbers from James the other night.

And this creativity from Doncic here is insane — for anybody, not just a forward.

And those two are just the tip of the iceberg. We haven’t even talked about Draymond Green, Nikola Jokic and Kawhi Leonard, who have all run point at front court positions this season.

This is the game’s natural evolution

As things have become more spread out and teams are thinking about how to best utilize their talent, they’ve begun to trust their best playmakers to actually make plays no matter what position they’re playing.

There have always been solid passers from bigger positions. Think about Arvydas Sabonis back in his hayday or even someone like Al Horford, who is proficient but has never played that “point center” role like a Nikola Jokic is right now.

Some of that is a matter of coming up at the wrong place and wrong time. Most of it is just the evolution of modern basketball and putting players in the best positions they can to thrive.

Spoelstra put it perfectly in this ESPN piece seven years ago.

“We have to view this team in a different lens,” Spoelstra said. “When we try to think conventionally and put guys in certain boxes or positions, it really hamstrings us. Not only in terms of our flow but mentally, too. We developed that term [position-less] just for guys to understand our versatility and how we need to play.”

Now, instead of it just being one team that is positionless, it’s multiple. And the game of basketball is so much better because of it.

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Sixers vs. Thunder preview: Sixers look to end road losing skid

The Philadelphia 76ers will continue the road trip on Friday when they visit the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Philadelphia 76ers will continue their road trip on Friday when they take on the young and rebuilding Oklahoma City Thunder. They will be looking right the ship on the road as they have now lost four straight road games following the three-game skid to end their last road trip.

The Sixers will finally have a fully healthy and active roster. No rest days, no nagging injuries, just a full roster. It will only be the fifth time this season where Philadelphia will trot out their entire starting lineup and it’s the team’s 12th game. It will give a bit of an indication of how good they can be.

With that being said, it’s now time for Friday’s game preview:

How to watch Sixers vs. Thunder

  • Date: Friday, November 15
  • Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
  • Location: Chesapeake Energy Arena Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia

Injury report

  • Sixers: NONE
  • Thunder: OUT: Andre Roberson(left knee recovery), QUESTIONABLE: Hamidou Diallo(left knee sprain)

Storylines

Struggling Tobias

Harris shot 0-for-3 from deep on Wednesday as a follow up to his 0-for-11 shooting in Tuesday’s game with the Cleveland Cavaliers and he is now shooting 20.4% from deep overall on the season. For the Sixers to have any type of success, they will need Harris to get back on track and coach Brett Brown understands that as he stated:

I think it’s just human nature. He wants to please. He wants to shoot the ball. He wants to score. We need him to score. We needed Al (Horford) and we needed Tobias to score. We had a drought in the last period and we had a long night in that regard offensively. It consistently reminds me of two things. One, it always in any level of team that you have, it takes longer for offense to catch defense. And two, during that spell you better guard. You better guard. It’s the only insolation that you have if you’re going to miss shots at the rate that we’ve been missing shots. And, so be it.

Sixers shooting struggles

It is not just Harris, the Sixers as a whole are struggling recently as they are shooting a combined 16-for-68 from deep in the previous two games which is causing them to be 24th in the league in 3-point shooting at 32.8%. No matter how ugly the numbers look, the Sixers need to continue shooting the ball in order to breakthrough.

Al Horford understands that notion as he stated:

We have to keep shooting and we have to keep shooting with confidence. I trust all our guys here. We work on those shots all the time. They were a lot of good looks, but I don’t want to say it is so much about the shots, it’s just the overall feel defensively. We had a lot of breakdown there which is not like our group I feel. It is something we have to address.

Prediction

The Sixers will finally have a fully healthy roster against a scrappy, and talented. Thunder team. Oklahoma City can use Chris Paul, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Terrance Ferguson to bother the Sixers on the perimeter while Steven Adams and Nerlens Noel do a solid job of protecting the basket. This will not be an easy game–then again, none of them are in the NBA–but it is one the Sixers should come out on top of. Harris is due to a breakthrough and Joel Embiid will be returning to help out Ben Simmons and company.

Pick: Sixers pull away late

Sixers vs. Thunder season series

Game 1 November 15:

Game 2 January 6:

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Three key stats that stand out in early part of season for Sixers

There are three key stats that have stood out with the Philadelphia 76ers in the early part of the season.

The Philadelphia 76ers are off to a 7-4 start despite not having much cohesion for being a brand new team. So why does it seem like the sky is falling?

There are three key numbers that stand out here in the early going of the season and it’s a reason why the team, despite their record, does not look as dominant as some people had expected.

20.4%

That is Tobias Harris’ 3-point percentage. He had a ton of expectations coming into the season. The team re-signed him to a lucrative contract with hopes that he would provide the wing scoring and the shooting the team so desperately needs. However, it just has not been there and it’s been an absolute struggle for him, especially in Philadelphia’s last two games where he shot a combined 0-for-14 from deep. Coach Brett Brown did reveal that he’s sick, but it does not really excuse the poor shooting.

The Sixers need Harris to get it going. His play is something that Brown has singled out on multiple occasions for them to truly succeed on the offensive end. What’s even worse, he’s shooting 23.7% on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers through the first 11 games after shooting 38.2% on such shots in 2018-19 and shooting 40.7% in 2017-18.

0

That is the total number of 3-pointers Ben Simmons has taken in2019-20. It’s so hard to truly nitpick at a player as talented as Simmons is, but the fact that he has yet to take a 3-pointer after all of the hype in the summer is disappointing. Everybody saw those videos he put out in the offseason and everybody was expecting him to at least attempt some 3-pointers. The expectations grew in the preseason when he drilled a 3-pointer in their preseason opener.

Brown has stated on Simmons’ jumper in the past:

I will say, and maybe you don’t agree, but I’ll say it, this still isn’t ‘the thing.’ It’s hugely important, we understand that, especially in April, May and June and we have to set the stage, but where I see the world with him is I think he can be the best defensive player in the NBA.

The Sixers really need Simmons to breakthrough and at least attempt a jumper. It would go a long way in their success.

4

The projected starting lineup of Simmons, Josh Richardson, Harris, Al Horford, and Joel Embiid have played a grand total of four games together. Due to Embiid’s suspension and load management, Simmons’ injury, and a rest day for Horford, the Sixers have not had much time to really play their big starting lineup together. It’s hard to get a real assessment of this team after just 11 games and they’ve had a full starting lineup for only four of those games. There needs to be more shown from this team before a panic button needs to be pushed. [lawrence-related id=19270,19262,19254]

Brett Brown, Sixers disappointed in defensive effort in loss to Magic

The Philadelphia 76ers were not happy with their defensive effort in a loss to the Orlando Magic.

The Philadelphia 76ers are a team that plans to hang their hat on their defense to win them games in the 2019-20 season. It’s what helped them hold off the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday when their offense wasn’t clicking, but on Wednesday when the offense couldn’t find a groove again, the defense couldn’t back them up in a loss to the Orlando Magic.

The Magic got to the foul line 34 times and when the game mattered most in the fourth quarter, they outscored Philadelphia 32-15. It was a defensive effort that could not pick up the offense and it upset coach Brett Brown as he stated:

I think it did. I think that it did and it sure is easy to point to missed shots. You just look at a stat sheet. But, I feel like defensively is where my energies and my attention goes to at this stage and we have to do more without Joel. It takes far more of sort of a collective effort. Sometimes you can make mistakes and you have 7-foot-2 Joel Embiid putting out fires and covering things up, tonight we didn’t have that. And like I said, I give Orlando credit and I look forward to seeing exactly the detail behind the way that they scored.

Tobias Harris, who had another rough shooting night as he scored eight points on 4-for-13 shooting and 0-for-3 from deep, also was upset with the defensive effort. Harris stated:

At times it did, but when we turned the ball over it was hard for us to get our defense set and then they were making threes in transition.  We never gained a rhythm offensively against some good looks…against some more in the flow plays.

It will take a while for the Sixers to truly find their groove on the offensive end. This is a team with a lot of new parts and it will take a little bit of time to get everybody on the same page. They’ve played 11 games and the projected starting lineup has played a grand total of four games together and Ben Simmons had to leave one of those four games with an injury. This will not happen overnight on the offensive end. The defense has to be there for them.

They head to Oklahoma City on Friday to take on Chris Paul and the Thunder. [lawrence-related id=19254,19247,19239]

Sluggish Sixers fall to Magic 112-97, ends two-game win streak

The Philadelphia 76ers fall to the Orlando Magic on the road.

The Philadelphia 76ers were looking to build off a modest two-game win streak they built at home following a three-game losing streak to end a road trip. Heading back on the road, they weren’t able to find the groove as they fell to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday 112-97 to begin a three-game road trip.

Josh Richardson led Philadelphia with 19 points to go along with six rebounds and five assists, Ben Simmons had 18 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, and Al Horford returned to score 14 points and pull down eight rebounds. The Sixers shot 8-for-30 from deep following an 8-for-38 effort on Tuesday night.

Philadelphia only shot 13 free throws all night compared to 34 for the Magic and it seemed as if the Sixers were just a bit sluggish on the night. Except for Simmons who was able to get inside a few times.

On the Orlando side, Nikola Vucevic led the way with 25 points and 12 rebounds taking advantage of the fact the Sixers did not have Joel Embiid in order to rest him and Aaron Gordon added 18 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists.

It was a case of the Sixers just looking a little tired. They were on the second night of a back-to-back following a battle with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday and they just weren’t able to finish it. They will now focus on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday. [lawrence-related id=19232,19222,19150]

How to Watch Houston Rockets, NBA Live Stream, Schedule, TV Channel, Start Time

Watch Houston Rockets Live Online.

Boasting a perennial MVP candidate and one of the most exciting offenses in the NBA, the Houston Rockets come into every season with high expectations. But with the acquisition of one of the game’s most exciting players in the offseason, the expectations surrounding the Rockets may be higher than ever. Can James Harden and Russell Westbrook bring the Rockets to new heights during the 2019-2020 season?

Watch the Houston Rockets 2019-20 Season

Next game: vs. Los Angeles Clippers, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 7:30 p.m. ET 

Local TV affiliate for the season: AT&T SportsNet Southwest

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

One of the biggest moves of the summer in the NBA was the decision by the Rockets to trade point guard Chris Paul to the Oklahoma City Thunder and to bring in Westbrook. The move reunited Harden and Westbrook, who helped bring the Thunder to the NBA Finals in 2012. That was before either player had reached his current status and become a league MVP. The question now is whether or not the two stars can coexist well enough to bring Houston a championship.

Outside of Harden and Westbrook, the rest of the Rockets roster will need to play at a high level on both sides of the court. Shooters like Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson knocking down shots will force defenses not to put too much of their attention on Harden and Westbrook, both of whom are at their best when they have room to operate and get to the basket against overmatched defenders. With offensive expert Mike D’Antoni at the helm, expect the team to find ways to space the floor and get open shots for the supporting cast.

Rockets November 2019 Schedule (All Times ET)

Wed. Nov. 13 vs. Clippers, 7:30 p.m.

Fri. Nov. 15 vs. Pacers, 8:00 p.m.

Sat. Nov 16 @ Timberwolves, 8:00 p.m.

Mon. Nov. 18 vs. Trail Blazers, 8:00 p.m.

Wed. Nov. 20 @ Nuggets, 9:00 p.m.

Fri. Nov. 22 @ Clippers, 10:30 p.m.

Sun. Nov 24 vs. Mavericks, 3:30 p.m.

Wed. Nov 27 vs. Heat, 8:00 p.m.

Sat. Nov. 30 vs. Hawks, 8:00 p.m.

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.

Report: Ben Simmons healthy, available vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

Philadelphia 76ers point gaurd Ben Simmons will return against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons will reportedly be available to play in tonight’s matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Simmons, who has been out since spraining his shoulder’s right AC joint early in Philly’s 106-104 loss to the Utah Jazz last Wednesday, is poised to return to a team that has sorely missed him.

After dropping their third game in a row to the Denver Nuggets on Friday, the Sixers should easily be able to turn things around and end their skid with the Australian’s return to the lineup now that he is available, according to Sixers Wire’s Ky Carlin.

While chemistry has been a bit of an issue in recent games as the team has sought to establish a consistent rotation after adding several high-profile players like Al Horford and Josh Richardson in the offseason, the team should respond well with Simmons back in the fold, even with the Cavs being a better team than their 4-5 record suggests.

The LSU product has had some troubles of his own early this season, logging his worst shooting (49.4 % from the floor) and lowest scoring (13.1 points per game), rebounding (5.4 per game) and assists (6.9 per game) of his three-year career.

But, much if not all of that is due to the decreased spacing and as-of-yet-unsolved chemistry issues which have resulted from so many major internal changes.

Look to Simmons to put his passing on display against a relatively smaller and defense-poor (currently possessing the league’s 17th-worst) Cavaliers tonight, returning the franchise many picked to lead the East this season back on their expected trajectory.