G1: 12/23 Sixers vs Wizards 7EST

[ExplosionsInDaSky]

The longer this goes on, the more clear the future will be. It's one game, but Simmons could be gone by the deadline.

[HotelVitale]

Just dropped in here and I'm sorta shocked by all the Simmons hate. Is this stemming from the Harden rumors or something? I thought he was solid tonight, really liked it when he ran the short pn'r with Embiid or Howard (like to see at least 10 of those per game from here on out) and he snapped us out of that horrible 3 quarter run run by taking over for 3 straight possessions. Apart from that he did regular Simmons things, strong on defense and made some great plays there and also showed some extra aggression in the half court offense in the first half. Also should've had at least 3-5 more assists if our shooters could hit wide open jumpers. No reason not to appreciate dude for what he is now.

[eyeatoma]

Just dropped in here and I'm sorta shocked by all the Simmons hate. Is this stemming from the Harden rumors or something? I thought he was solid tonight, really liked it when he ran the short pn'r with Embiid or Howard (like to see at least 10 of those per game from here on out) and he snapped us out of that horrible 3 quarter run run by taking over for 3 straight possessions. Apart from that he did regular Simmons things, strong on defense and made some great plays there and also showed some extra aggression in the half court offense in the first half. Also should've had at least 3-5 more assists if our shooters could hit wide open jumpers. No reason not to appreciate dude for what he is now.

He looked exactly the same as he has the last 3 years. No change, and we were bumping into eachother often. Time for Harden.

Sent from my SM-G988B using Tapatalk

[M2J]

I thought you have the best assistman to a 3pt shooter in the league on your starting unit?

What happened to that?

You tell me. When you don't respect someone's shot, the other players don't get open very much.

In theory (because i also dont believe this), Ben and Biid would create looks for the shooters.

P.S. did you watch how in the flow the offense is with a PG like Maxey?

Yes Maxey looked good. Let him be your so called microwave off the bench, and put Shakes actual 3pt shooting in the lineup

[76ciology]

My thoughts after watching the replay:

Tobias
- played a horrible game and is on a slump since the Celtics series. Something is going on with him.

Embiid
- paced himself well, reminds me of how Jimmy paced himself to play big in the fourth. He played how a franchise player would play.

Ben
- was average for most game. I thought he played well down the stretch.

Seth
- he played like a rookie who is not used to NBA length and speed.

Shake
- he played well. He is perfect with his current role where he’s a bit overqualified.

Maxey
- offense was so much in a better flow with him running it. But i dont think he’s ready for a big role this season.

Our team
- starters played clunky offense. There’s just no flow.
- we have some amazing down the stretch sets by Doc, it’s our extra gear.

3 possessions down the stretch that standout..
- that Ben PnR with Biid that got him an easy lay-up
- Biid faking an handoff then driving to the rim
- that Shake PnR with Biid that lead to an easy dunk for Ben

- second unit again was big, this allowed us to catch up being down double digit to start the fourth. This also allowed Biid to pace himself.

- we run my darkhorse 5 man unit with Seth and Shake at the backcourt with our starters. I expect this 5 man as our “deathball unit”.

- if Tobi goes into this kind of stretch, i’d declare he’s injured. Load management him until he gets into his rhythm while increasing minutes for Thybulle and Scott.

Overall: A really good second unit and really smart offensive actions allowed our guys to perform better down the stretch. Our starting unit’s offense is just the thing that’s missing right now. ...for a 42-45 win and a first to second round exit this year.

[Negrodamus]

Sixers ended my darkhorse 5 man unit of..

Seth
Shake
Ben
Tobi
Biid

That's because Seth and Shake know how to play halfcourt offense at least somewhat competently, something that needs to exist at the end of games.

[Negrodamus]

Whatever we do for the next four years, we'll always have this anchor weighing us down that is Tobias's contract. He has good hustle, at times grabs clutch rebounds, occasionally hits a bad shot attempt. But he isn't even in the ballpark of earning this contract. We will be incapable of moving him for the foreseeable future unless we add draft capital.

[Negrodamus]

Watch on YouTube

Limited highlights, but what Shake is doing shows how to maximize this offense. Collapse the defense and even if you miss on a layup attempt, it's either Embiid or Dwight crashing towards the rim for putbacks. What he's doing for the offense is opening up the court for other players. If we had another vet that is capable of doing similar things to Shake, then I'd be on board with playing him off the bench. Unfortunately, our starters are completely inept at half court offense. Shake needs to start moving forward and I'd argue that it might have to be Danny Green moved to the bench.

[76ciology]

Whatever we do for the next four years, we'll always have this anchor weighing us down that is Tobias's contract. He has good hustle, at times grabs clutch rebounds, occasionally hits a bad shot attempt. But he isn't even in the ballpark of earning this contract. We will be incapable of moving him for the foreseeable future unless we add draft capital.

Yup. Given this handicap, it just gives us more reason to trade Ben for Harden. This allows us to be less reliant on Tobi and possibly trading him for less talented players who can fill a needed role.

For the mean time, I’d suggest decreasing his minutes until he gets out of this slump. Then increase Scott and Thybulle’s minutes. Possibly signing a PF who can shoot like Ersan.

[M2J]

My thoughts after watching the replay:

Tobias
- played a horrible game and is on a slump since the Celtics series. Something is going on with him.

Embiid
- paced himself well, reminds me of how Jimmy paced himself to play big in the fourth. He played how a franchise player would play.

Ben
- was average for most game. I thought he played well down the stretch.

Seth
- he played like a rookie who is not used to NBA length and speed.

Shake
- he played well. He is perfect with his current role where he’s a bit overqualified.

Maxey
- offense was so much in a better flow with him running it. But i dont think he’s ready for a big role this season.

Our team
- starters played clunky offense. There’s just no flow.
- we have some amazing down the stretch sets by Doc, it’s our extra gear.

3 possessions down the stretch that standout..
- that Ben PnR with Biid that got him an easy lay-up
- Biid faking an handoff then driving to the rim
- that Shake PnR with Biid that lead to an easy dunk for Ben

- second unit again was big, this allowed us to catch up being down double digit to start the fourth. This also allowed Biid to pace himself.

- we run my darkhorse 5 man unit with Seth and Shake at the backcourt with our starters. I expect this 5 man as our “deathball unit”.

- if Tobi goes into this kind of stretch, i’d declare he’s injured. Load management him until he gets into his rhythm while increasing minutes for Thybulle and Scott.

Overall: A really good second unit and really smart offensive actions allowed our guys to perform better down the stretch. Our starting unit’s offense is just the thing that’s missing right now. ...for a 42-45 win and a first to second round exit this year.

I'm not so worried about Tobias, I think he'll find his flow. Let's be real, he's not 12ppg bad, and he's not a chucker, and is consistent. He'll end the season with at least 19ppg and a good fg%.

That closing lineup makes so much sense, bit I didn't expect to close the games with it. Though hopefully that stays the plan, unless Green shows he should be in. I always thought Green was a lock to close, and the hot hand of Curry and Shake was the question that would be answered each night. Hopefully Rivers just isn't afraid to try what's working each night.

I have clearly credited the obvious brilliance of Shake, but Curry really played well down the stretch and found ways to score. Shake played surprisingly well defensively. Simmons played well and moved well off the ball and picked his spots offensively.

Of course the worry is how that lineup holds up defensively, but I guess that's where Ben has to earn his money.

[76ciology]

Spoiler:

My thoughts after watching the replay:

Tobias
- played a horrible game and is on a slump since the Celtics series. Something is going on with him.

Embiid
- paced himself well, reminds me of how Jimmy paced himself to play big in the fourth. He played how a franchise player would play.

Ben
- was average for most game. I thought he played well down the stretch.

Seth
- he played like a rookie who is not used to NBA length and speed.

Shake
- he played well. He is perfect with his current role where he’s a bit overqualified.

Maxey
- offense was so much in a better flow with him running it. But i dont think he’s ready for a big role this season.

Our team
- starters played clunky offense. There’s just no flow.
- we have some amazing down the stretch sets by Doc, it’s our extra gear.

3 possessions down the stretch that standout..
- that Ben PnR with Biid that got him an easy lay-up
- Biid faking an handoff then driving to the rim
- that Shake PnR with Biid that lead to an easy dunk for Ben

- second unit again was big, this allowed us to catch up being down double digit to start the fourth. This also allowed Biid to pace himself.

- we run my darkhorse 5 man unit with Seth and Shake at the backcourt with our starters. I expect this 5 man as our “deathball unit”.

- if Tobi goes into this kind of stretch, i’d declare he’s injured. Load management him until he gets into his rhythm while increasing minutes for Thybulle and Scott.

Overall: A really good second unit and really smart offensive actions allowed our guys to perform better down the stretch. Our starting unit’s offense is just the thing that’s missing right now. ...for a 42-45 win and a first to second round exit this year.

I'm not so worried about Tobias, I think he'll find his flow. Let's be real, he's not 12ppg bad, and he's not a chucker, and is consistent. He'll end the season with at least 19ppg and a good fg%.

That closing lineup makes so much sense, bit I didn't expect to close the games with it. Though hopefully that stays the plan, unless Green shows he should be in. I always thought Green was a lock to close, and the hot hand of Curry and Shake was the question that would be answered each night. Hopefully Rivers just isn't afraid to try what's working each night.

I have clearly credited the obvious brilliance of Shake, but Curry really played well down the stretch and found ways to score. Shake played surprisingly well defensively. Simmons played well and moved well off the ball and picked his spots offensively.

Of course the worry is how that lineup holds up defensively, but I guess that's where Ben has to earn his money.

I maintain my belief that to make Biid and Ben work, you need to surround that duo with a couple of scoring guards who can shoot like dame/cj and steph/klay.

I think you can emulate it with the Seth/Shake. These days you can get atleast 15 per game just by playing PnR with a C. And i think both Seth and Shake can be that.

I ask myself.. why can’t we run the offense like how we did down the stretch compared to other parts of the game. The difference?

Down the stretch, the offense is not run by Ben. Ben was at the dunker spot.

I think you can also emulate that flow with having Tobi or Seth having more role on offense with the starting unit.

Once you have that flow. You then transition with that 5 man units with Maxey and Shake, again with better flow. Then end the game with Seth and Milton.

[Kova]

My thoughts for the season opener:

- Wizards are going to be a playoff team this year, let's not underestimate this win
- our game is night & day different from the last season, we get our shooters open easily, our half-court sets are not as bad
- I'm very impressed by Shake - he is the most improved player on our team this year
- everyone else was pretty good, I like Maxey, kind of surprised
- the only guy who I can't stand on this team is still Tobias, he is just nowhere to be found

And the last time I'm gonna say it. No to Harden.

[M2J]

Spoiler:

My thoughts after watching the replay:

Tobias
- played a horrible game and is on a slump since the Celtics series. Something is going on with him.

Embiid
- paced himself well, reminds me of how Jimmy paced himself to play big in the fourth. He played how a franchise player would play.

Ben
- was average for most game. I thought he played well down the stretch.

Seth
- he played like a rookie who is not used to NBA length and speed.

Shake
- he played well. He is perfect with his current role where he’s a bit overqualified.

Maxey
- offense was so much in a better flow with him running it. But i dont think he’s ready for a big role this season.

Our team
- starters played clunky offense. There’s just no flow.
- we have some amazing down the stretch sets by Doc, it’s our extra gear.

3 possessions down the stretch that standout..
- that Ben PnR with Biid that got him an easy lay-up
- Biid faking an handoff then driving to the rim
- that Shake PnR with Biid that lead to an easy dunk for Ben

- second unit again was big, this allowed us to catch up being down double digit to start the fourth. This also allowed Biid to pace himself.

- we run my darkhorse 5 man unit with Seth and Shake at the backcourt with our starters. I expect this 5 man as our “deathball unit”.

- if Tobi goes into this kind of stretch, i’d declare he’s injured. Load management him until he gets into his rhythm while increasing minutes for Thybulle and Scott.

Overall: A really good second unit and really smart offensive actions allowed our guys to perform better down the stretch. Our starting unit’s offense is just the thing that’s missing right now. ...for a 42-45 win and a first to second round exit this year.

I'm not so worried about Tobias, I think he'll find his flow. Let's be real, he's not 12ppg bad, and he's not a chucker, and is consistent. He'll end the season with at least 19ppg and a good fg%.

That closing lineup makes so much sense, bit I didn't expect to close the games with it. Though hopefully that stays the plan, unless Green shows he should be in. I always thought Green was a lock to close, and the hot hand of Curry and Shake was the question that would be answered each night. Hopefully Rivers just isn't afraid to try what's working each night.

I have clearly credited the obvious brilliance of Shake, but Curry really played well down the stretch and found ways to score. Shake played surprisingly well defensively. Simmons played well and moved well off the ball and picked his spots offensively.

Of course the worry is how that lineup holds up defensively, but I guess that's where Ben has to earn his money.

I maintain my belief that to make Biid and Ben work, you need to surround that duo with a couple of scoring guards who can shoot like dame/cj and steph/klay.

I think you can emulate it with the Seth/Shake. These days you can get atleast 15 per game just by playing PnR with a C. And i think both Seth and Shake can be that.

I ask myself.. why can’t we run the offense like how we did down the stretch compared to other parts of the game. The difference?

Down the stretch, the offense is not run by Ben. Ben was at the dunker spot.

I think you can also emulate that flow with having Tobi or Seth having more role on offense with the starting unit.

Once you have that flow. You then transition with that 5 man units with Maxey and Shake, again with better flow. Then end the game with Seth and Milton.

Well I thought that would be the plan, but we haven't seen it, even in the preseason.

Instead it's been more Ben handling in the pick and rolls. I don't think it can't be a useful tool, and can produce... But there has to be a mix of him showing more off ball and hopefully as a roll man.

A little pick and roll ball handling, screening and rolling for Tobi and Seth/Shake, some dunker spot and movement off ball, and posting him up is how he'll be effective in the half court. We saw effective sets in 3 of the 4, but didn't see the screening and rolling much. I think he is good enough to get 4-6ppg off of screening and rolling, and more assists. That and posting is how Giannis makes himself effective in tight 4th quarters.

[blargh]

Just dropped in here and I'm sorta shocked by all the Simmons hate. Is this stemming from the Harden rumors or something? I thought he was solid tonight, really liked it when he ran the short pn'r with Embiid or Howard (like to see at least 10 of those per game from here on out) and he snapped us out of that horrible 3 quarter run run by taking over for 3 straight possessions. Apart from that he did regular Simmons things, strong on defense and made some great plays there and also showed some extra aggression in the half court offense in the first half. Also should've had at least 3-5 more assists if our shooters could hit wide open jumpers. No reason not to appreciate dude for what he is now.

Agreed. It’s puzzling to see people drooling over Brandon Ingram’s statline last night, then call for Ben’s head after 16 pts, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks, and general lockdown defense. If he averages that line, he should make the All-Star team again.

[Iverson Armband]

Just dropped in here and I'm sorta shocked by all the Simmons hate. Is this stemming from the Harden rumors or something? I thought he was solid tonight, really liked it when he ran the short pn'r with Embiid or Howard (like to see at least 10 of those per game from here on out) and he snapped us out of that horrible 3 quarter run run by taking over for 3 straight possessions. Apart from that he did regular Simmons things, strong on defense and made some great plays there and also showed some extra aggression in the half court offense in the first half. Also should've had at least 3-5 more assists if our shooters could hit wide open jumpers. No reason not to appreciate dude for what he is now.

Agreed. It’s puzzling to see people drooling over Brandon Ingram’s statline last night, then call for Ben’s head after 16 pts, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks, and general lockdown defense. If he averages that line, he should make the All-Star team again.

Brandon Ingram and Ben Simmons lines last night are not comparable

Outside of that, Why do you care about Ben Simmons making the All-Star team? Seriously, who cares. He has this same screwed up mindset and it’s half the reason he isn’t close to being as good as he should be. Is making the All-Star team going to help him stop literally running in to Embiid on offense? Or keep him from being relegated to the dunker spot at the end of games?

Sure on the surface the numbers look fine, but his numbers have never looked bad. It’s more the fact that we’re in year 5 and the guy still literally has not improved his game since HS. I mean, him still not being able to shoot FTs on so little volume at this point is beyond unacceptable.

[Lou_23]

Just dropped in here and I'm sorta shocked by all the Simmons hate. Is this stemming from the Harden rumors or something? I thought he was solid tonight, really liked it when he ran the short pn'r with Embiid or Howard (like to see at least 10 of those per game from here on out) and he snapped us out of that horrible 3 quarter run run by taking over for 3 straight possessions. Apart from that he did regular Simmons things, strong on defense and made some great plays there and also showed some extra aggression in the half court offense in the first half. Also should've had at least 3-5 more assists if our shooters could hit wide open jumpers. No reason not to appreciate dude for what he is now.

100%, he had a good game.

People think that if they said bad things about him every day, Morey will trade him for Harden.

[Iverson Armband]

Just dropped in here and I'm sorta shocked by all the Simmons hate. Is this stemming from the Harden rumors or something? I thought he was solid tonight, really liked it when he ran the short pn'r with Embiid or Howard (like to see at least 10 of those per game from here on out) and he snapped us out of that horrible 3 quarter run run by taking over for 3 straight possessions. Apart from that he did regular Simmons things, strong on defense and made some great plays there and also showed some extra aggression in the half court offense in the first half. Also should've had at least 3-5 more assists if our shooters could hit wide open jumpers. No reason not to appreciate dude for what he is now.

100%, he had a good game.

People think that if they said bad things about him every day, Morey will trade him for Harden.

And you think by patting him on the back after every average game, he won’t

[VDT]

Just dropped in here and I'm sorta shocked by all the Simmons hate. Is this stemming from the Harden rumors or something? I thought he was solid tonight, really liked it when he ran the short pn'r with Embiid or Howard (like to see at least 10 of those per game from here on out) and he snapped us out of that horrible 3 quarter run run by taking over for 3 straight possessions. Apart from that he did regular Simmons things, strong on defense and made some great plays there and also showed some extra aggression in the half court offense in the first half. Also should've had at least 3-5 more assists if our shooters could hit wide open jumpers. No reason not to appreciate dude for what he is now.

Agreed. It’s puzzling to see people drooling over Brandon Ingram’s statline last night, then call for Ben’s head after 16 pts, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks, and general lockdown defense. If he averages that line, he should make the All-Star team again.

THe offensive numbers are overrating him a bit. He gets a fair amount of his baskets simply because the defense doesnt pay him that much attention, which is also why he finds it hard to increase his scoring volume. When he tries to force the issue he is not able to create good shots. Also his assist numbers (like everyone in the NBA) are inflated by including simple passes that happen to end in a basket without really giving the scorer much of an advantage.

[Black Mage]

I don't know how to put this, but I think this is the problem with Tobias. Brett's "organic" scheme where he didn't have defined roles, wanted guys to think on the court on what to do or what play to run was the worst thing for Tobias. Tobias works best, and Doc said it as well, when he isn't thinking and is just reacting.

I'm definitely concerned for Tobias, but hopefully with time Doc can straighten his head out. I still have faith because Doc's already done it once before and should know what he needs to do to get Tobi back to that point.

[phillynative]

In the starting 5 we still have 3 big men and 2 guards who cannot score on the ball. I dont know how Doc is going to work around that , the bench will not be able to save them every game.