The Philadelphia 76ers just finished up a rough 2019-20 season where they had issues on the floor and they were swept out of Round 1 of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics.
In a season such as this one, plenty of questions arise and a lot of them will be aimed at the star duo of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Now, the Sixers did not have Simmons in the playoffs, but questions always arise about their fit due to Simmons’ lack of shooting.
Former NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway Sr. had an opinion on the Sixers stars as he joined Paul Gant of Go4It Radio on their podcast to discuss the star duo. He believes that they can work and they can win, but they need a point guard.
Hardaway Sr.:
Yes, that can work. I think they need a point guard too for when Ben Simmons goes out that they can have a playmaking point guard that can make threes, that can run a team that could make the right plays, just like Ben Simmons. He doesn’t have to be 6-foot-9/6-foot 10, he could be 6-foot-2/6-foot-3, but coming off the bench and running a team, the way a point guard runs a team or like Ben Simmons runs a team. I would keep those guys. The talent that they have, it’s great.
Simmons and Embiid are two of the top 15 players the NBA has to offer. Now, they just need to find the necessary shooters around them to succeed. They had JJ Redick and Jimmy Butler in the past, but after they left, the move of bringing in Al Horford and Josh Richardson did not have the same effect.
General manager Elton Brand has said in the past that the team has no intention of breaking up Simmons and Embiid, but he will have to find some shooters this offseason. Whether through the draft or maybe in free agency with the small amount of money that they have, something does have to happen. The fact of the matter is, the Sixers should build around the young stars rather than try and break them up. [lawrence-related id=37425,37422,37416]