Sixers are worse without Embiid (duh) but wait there's more

[OzThunder]

Ben's impact on spacing is in fact a problem.....

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That's the play I pointed out earlier in the thread, someone else thankfully saw it. That happens often, especially in 4th quarters when he's afraid to play on ball because the other team may send him to the line.

I will argue it til I'm blue in the face... Simmons not shooting threes isn't the problem, spacing isn't the problem, team makeup isn't the problem.

Their offensive sets (and lack thereof) are absolute garbage.

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I get that spacing IS a problem.

My point is the problem is in the X and Os not the personnel. You can't just say "Horford and Simmons both have post up games and they're trying to post up on each other." Normal structure and team offensive rules SHOULD have a go to strategy in this situation. Horford should flash high for the catch and look at Simmons for a high low. Simmons could set a cross screen for Horford to clear out which would allow one of them a deeper catch.

There's so many simple things that could be done to utilise these mismatches and situations, but it always seems like they have no actual offensive structure when things go like this. They just have 4 guys clog the key and J-Rich shoots a pull up J.

[OzThunder]

Ben's impact on spacing is in fact a problem.....

Read on Twitter

?s=19



That's the play I pointed out earlier in the thread, someone else thankfully saw it. That happens often, especially in 4th quarters when he's afraid to play on ball because the other team may send him to the line.

I will argue it til I'm blue in the face... Simmons not shooting threes isn't the problem, spacing isn't the problem, team makeup isn't the problem.

Their offensive sets (and lack thereof) are absolute garbage.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using RealGM mobile app

At 6 seconds in that video , Simmons is fronted (by the much smaller defender), and the ball hits the wing. Basketball 101 would pretty much dictate that one big would lift to the elbow. In this case the absolute basic thing I see is Horford would lift for the elbow catch and lob the high-low pass to Simmons who now has inside position on a much smaller defender.

I feel there are 40 plays like this a game where they miss a basic play that would give a 90% shot, because they seldom run structure, and when they do it just seems to totally miss the mark.

[youngcrev]

Their shooting has been abysmal away from home

Today was 18% from 3

That might seem like something Brown has no control over, but 3pt% speaks volumes about the flow of the offense. Get this:

Tobias shot 43.4% from 3pt over 55 games for the Clippers last year, and 41.1% the previous year for DET/LAC combined. This is a guy who averaged 5.3 attempts during that 1 1/2 season stretch. I remember Tobi talking about how excited he was to demonstrate his improved 3pt touch before the 17-18 season. In 67 games for the Sixers however, he's shooting 33.9% on the same volume. It's not like he's drawing doubles on the perimeter, so what the hell is going on here?

I'll keep going...

- Mike Scott hit 40.0% for the Wizards and Clippers before arriving in Philly; since then he's down to 37.0%.
- Horford averaged 37.1% for the Hawks/Celtics after adding the 3pt dimension to his game in 15-16; he's shooting 34.0% so far for the Sixers.
- Richardson shot 36.8% throughout his career for Miami; he's averaging 34.1% in the City of Brotherly Love.

And that was our starting lineup tonight, besides Ben who can't hurt team 3pt% without actually taking any In theory Ben's inward gravity should open up the perimeter for his teammates (as should Embiid's when healthy). Instead, what I believe we're seeing are the fruits of a poorly designed and/or poorly implemented scheme. If true that falls on Brown.

3 point shooting is just highly variable. I don't really buy that these guys shooting poorly has much to do with the coaching. Shooting (as well as playmaking) was a pretty glaring issue going into the year.

Harris has had exactly 1 full season shooting over 40% from 3 in his career, and was shooting at an unsustainable level for him when he came over.

Conversely Scott was shooting .391 when he came over, and then shot .412 from 3 the remainder of the year with the Sixers.

Looking at the big new comers, I think Horford is being forced into a role he's not all that comfortable with because of the presence of Embiid and Simmons. The team needs a volume, catch and shoot floor spacer in his spot, and I don't think he's a great fit for that. Richardson just seems like he gets injured every time he starts to come on.

I'm assuming Brett had a major hand in putting together this clunky roster, so I don't really for bad for the position he's in. I'd be shocked if they made any type of coaching move before the offseason though. He'll get his chance in the playoffs. Anything less than an ECF appearance he's probably gone. And that probably won't be the only big change.

[Hussien Fatal]

Bret Brown is a fine coach. Not sure at all why he's being casted out as some scapegoat. Their two most talented players simply do not compliment each other. And they don't have enough shooting to off-set it. Bret Brown had the vision to highlight Ben Simmons strengths as a ball handler and playmaker, designating him as a "point guard", but I'm certain it wasn't Brown's plan that Simmons wouldn't work on his game and be a confident and assertive offensive player. Their personnel moves have been odd and have only compounding the ill fit of those two players. They're still a good team, but those early seaons notions that they were going to pace their way thru the East with ease were always hilarious. Not without Jimmy Butler they weren't.

Brown is being criticized because there's no accountability for Simmons, he asks every other player on that team to do things outside of their comfort zone, except for Simmons. He may be a fine coach but his relationship with Simmons is an issue and may have been what Butler was alluding to and one of the reasons why Jimmy didn't come back for them. Brown publicly challenged Simmons to shoot 1 three a game, since then Simmons hasn't taken a single three, he asks nothing of Simmons as far as his game progressing and doesn't hold him accountable when he makes mistakes. There was a game last month where Embiid got benched in the 4th quarter which was the right move, yet Simmons hasn't been benched no matter how much he hurts their spacing or how often he goes scoreless down the stretch.

This take is just wrong! Brett has routinely requested Ben to shoot at least one three a game and he refuses. And if anything brett ask the most from Ben out of all his players he just never applies it. Brett has put Ben on blast many times.

[NoDopeOnSundays]

Brett saying he failed in regards to Simmons shooting

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And no he does not ask the most of the guy averaging 15ppg who is terrified to shoot.

Bret Brown is a fine coach. Not sure at all why he's being casted out as some scapegoat. Their two most talented players simply do not compliment each other. And they don't have enough shooting to off-set it. Bret Brown had the vision to highlight Ben Simmons strengths as a ball handler and playmaker, designating him as a "point guard", but I'm certain it wasn't Brown's plan that Simmons wouldn't work on his game and be a confident and assertive offensive player. Their personnel moves have been odd and have only compounding the ill fit of those two players. They're still a good team, but those early seaons notions that they were going to pace their way thru the East with ease were always hilarious. Not without Jimmy Butler they weren't.

Brown is being criticized because there's no accountability for Simmons, he asks every other player on that team to do things outside of their comfort zone, except for Simmons. He may be a fine coach but his relationship with Simmons is an issue and may have been what Butler was alluding to and one of the reasons why Jimmy didn't come back for them. Brown publicly challenged Simmons to shoot 1 three a game, since then Simmons hasn't taken a single three, he asks nothing of Simmons as far as his game progressing and doesn't hold him accountable when he makes mistakes. There was a game last month where Embiid got benched in the 4th quarter which was the right move, yet Simmons hasn't been benched no matter how much he hurts their spacing or how often he goes scoreless down the stretch.

This take is just wrong! Brett has routinely requested Ben to shoot at least one three a game and he refuses. And if anything brett ask the most from Ben out of all his players he just never applies it. Brett has put Ben on blast many times.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using RealGM mobile app

[NoDopeOnSundays]

Ben's impact on spacing is in fact a problem.....

Read on Twitter

?s=19



That's the play I pointed out earlier in the thread, someone else thankfully saw it. That happens often, especially in 4th quarters when he's afraid to play on ball because the other team may send him to the line.

I will argue it til I'm blue in the face... Simmons not shooting threes isn't the problem, spacing isn't the problem, team makeup isn't the problem.

Their offensive sets (and lack thereof) are absolute garbage.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using RealGM mobile app

I get that spacing IS a problem.

My point is the problem is in the X and Os not the personnel. You can't just say "Horford and Simmons both have post up games and they're trying to post up on each other." Normal structure and team offensive rules SHOULD have a go to strategy in this situation. Horford should flash high for the catch and look at Simmons for a high low. Simmons could set a cross screen for Horford to clear out which would allow one of them a deeper catch.

There's so many simple things that could be done to utilise these mismatches and situations, but it always seems like they have no actual offensive structure when things go like this. They just have 4 guys clog the key and J-Rich shoots a pull up J.

Again, the problem is in Simmons, the shot clock was winding down and despite the fact his teammates are trying to initiate a post play he's setting a screen on Richardson's man because he refuses to go to the wing or corner. A much better coach would have been screaming at Simmons to go to the wing or corner, instead he single handily blew up the play all by himself. The most likely outcome if Simmons got that ball on that possession would have been a foul and him being such a poor freethrow shooter it makes his posts ups in the 4th pointless, keep in mind between the two of them Horford is the better freethrow shooter and his points per possession from the post are higher, so it makes no sense to clear out for Simmons there all things considered.

Also, he does that same exact thing against teams that have size, it's why the Miami Heat are such a problem for the Sixers, because he's doing that vs a zone, or he'll do that with Pascal Siakam on him. It creates a situation where his team can't post up or drive effectively because he's always in the dunkers spot when the ball isn't in his hands, teams are going to start putting a 2nd big on the floor against him like the Celtics did 2 years ago, because he's the same exact player. They have tried to invert their offense more with Embiid and Horford taking more threes, but Simmons isn't aggressive enough offensively nor does he have the length like Giannis to really make that attack work.

[GeorgeMarcus]

Their shooting has been abysmal away from home

Today was 18% from 3

That might seem like something Brown has no control over, but 3pt% speaks volumes about the flow of the offense. Get this:

Tobias shot 43.4% from 3pt over 55 games for the Clippers last year, and 41.1% the previous year for DET/LAC combined. This is a guy who averaged 5.3 attempts during that 1 1/2 season stretch. I remember Tobi talking about how excited he was to demonstrate his improved 3pt touch before the 17-18 season. In 67 games for the Sixers however, he's shooting 33.9% on the same volume. It's not like he's drawing doubles on the perimeter, so what the hell is going on here?

I'll keep going...

- Mike Scott hit 40.0% for the Wizards and Clippers before arriving in Philly; since then he's down to 37.0%.
- Horford averaged 37.1% for the Hawks/Celtics after adding the 3pt dimension to his game in 15-16; he's shooting 34.0% so far for the Sixers.
- Richardson shot 36.8% throughout his career for Miami; he's averaging 34.1% in the City of Brotherly Love.

And that was our starting lineup tonight, besides Ben who can't hurt team 3pt% without actually taking any In theory Ben's inward gravity should open up the perimeter for his teammates (as should Embiid's when healthy). Instead, what I believe we're seeing are the fruits of a poorly designed and/or poorly implemented scheme. If true that falls on Brown.

3 point shooting is just highly variable. I don't really buy that these guys shooting poorly has much to do with the coaching. Shooting (as well as playmaking) was a pretty glaring issue going into the year.

Harris has had exactly 1 full season shooting over 40% from 3 in his career, and was shooting at an unsustainable level for him when he came over.

Conversely Scott was shooting .391 when he came over, and then shot .412 from 3 the remainder of the year with the Sixers.

Looking at the big new comers, I think Horford is being forced into a role he's not all that comfortable with because of the presence of Embiid and Simmons. The team needs a volume, catch and shoot floor spacer in his spot, and I don't think he's a great fit for that. Richardson just seems like he gets injured every time he starts to come on.

I'm assuming Brett had a major hand in putting together this clunky roster, so I don't really for bad for the position he's in. I'd be shocked if they made any type of coaching move before the offseason though. He'll get his chance in the playoffs. Anything less than an ECF appearance he's probably gone. And that probably won't be the only big change.

Harris focused on his 3pt shot before the 17-18 season, which is why I used that as a starting point (like starting with 15-16 for Horford). He averaged 42% over 135 games and 703 attempts. That's a pretty significant sample, and the drop off to 33.9% over 68 games and 327 attempts is a lot to chalk up to inherent variation. Especially when the rest of our volume 3pt shooters trended in the same direction when coming to Philly.

No doubt we could use catch-and-shoot guys, but I'm still convinced we're bearing the fruits of a flawed offensive scheme. The lack of rhythmic flow is glaring.

[GeorgeMarcus]

New season, same old story... 21-10 (56-win pace) with Embiid and 4-6 (33-win pace) without Embiid. I could use this as more material to prop up my lord and savior, but I'm gonna take a different route this time: Brett Brown has got to go.

If Scott freaking Brooks can trot out the G League Wizards and look competitive, there should be no reason Brown can't salvage mediocrity (at a minimum) with Simmons/J Rich/Tobias/Horford. This isn't a new phenomenon or reactionary take. It was the same story last year going 8-10 with Simmons/Redick/Butler/Tobias.

Even when Embiid plays, we're consistently awful out of timeouts and have no sense of structure within the offense. How can we not blame the coach knowing all that we know? I like the guy- I really do- but enough is enough. He had to know his ass was on the line when the Sixers committed to win-now mode. My only worry is that his rapport with the FO will cloud their judgement and prevent them from making the right decision.

To answer the question that will inevitably arise: yes, I'm willing to gamble on an unproven coach in the event of a Brown firing. I get that it's slim pickens right now when it comes to known commodities, but it's better to take a risk on someone new than cling to a losing formula.

I mean, the Wizards have nothing to lose. They just go out and play, if you take a bad shot, who cares, if you don't get back on defense, who cares? Teams like the Sixers and Celtics, Bucks, can't play that way. They have to take smart shots and find the right matchup, and get back on defense instead of fight for every offensive rebound.

Can't compare those 2.

I chose the Wizards because Brooks is widely regarded as a sub par coach, but I agree it's a very different situation in Washington.

[youngcrev]

That might seem like something Brown has no control over, but 3pt% speaks volumes about the flow of the offense. Get this:

Tobias shot 43.4% from 3pt over 55 games for the Clippers last year, and 41.1% the previous year for DET/LAC combined. This is a guy who averaged 5.3 attempts during that 1 1/2 season stretch. I remember Tobi talking about how excited he was to demonstrate his improved 3pt touch before the 17-18 season. In 67 games for the Sixers however, he's shooting 33.9% on the same volume. It's not like he's drawing doubles on the perimeter, so what the hell is going on here?

I'll keep going...

- Mike Scott hit 40.0% for the Wizards and Clippers before arriving in Philly; since then he's down to 37.0%.
- Horford averaged 37.1% for the Hawks/Celtics after adding the 3pt dimension to his game in 15-16; he's shooting 34.0% so far for the Sixers.
- Richardson shot 36.8% throughout his career for Miami; he's averaging 34.1% in the City of Brotherly Love.

And that was our starting lineup tonight, besides Ben who can't hurt team 3pt% without actually taking any In theory Ben's inward gravity should open up the perimeter for his teammates (as should Embiid's when healthy). Instead, what I believe we're seeing are the fruits of a poorly designed and/or poorly implemented scheme. If true that falls on Brown.

3 point shooting is just highly variable. I don't really buy that these guys shooting poorly has much to do with the coaching. Shooting (as well as playmaking) was a pretty glaring issue going into the year.

Harris has had exactly 1 full season shooting over 40% from 3 in his career, and was shooting at an unsustainable level for him when he came over.

Conversely Scott was shooting .391 when he came over, and then shot .412 from 3 the remainder of the year with the Sixers.

Looking at the big new comers, I think Horford is being forced into a role he's not all that comfortable with because of the presence of Embiid and Simmons. The team needs a volume, catch and shoot floor spacer in his spot, and I don't think he's a great fit for that. Richardson just seems like he gets injured every time he starts to come on.

I'm assuming Brett had a major hand in putting together this clunky roster, so I don't really for bad for the position he's in. I'd be shocked if they made any type of coaching move before the offseason though. He'll get his chance in the playoffs. Anything less than an ECF appearance he's probably gone. And that probably won't be the only big change.

Harris focused on his 3pt shot before the 17-18 season, which is why I used that as a starting point (like starting with 15-16 for Horford). He averaged 42% over 135 games and 703 attempts. That's a pretty significant sample, and the drop off to 33.9% over 68 games and 327 attempts is a lot to chalk up to inherent variation. Especially when the rest of our volume 3pt shooters trended in the same direction when coming to Philly.

No doubt we could use catch-and-shoot guys, but I'm still convinced we're bearing the fruits of a flawed offensive scheme. The lack of rhythmic flow is glaring.

It's a significant sample, but still a cherry picked one. I don't imagine he's not still focused on his 3 point shot (pretty sure the Sixers preference would be that he takes more). He's taking pretty much the same exact amount. I just think he's more of a scorer than a pure shooter (poor man's Melo).

I don't really know what scheme fixes an offense that lacks playmaking and shooting to the extent that this team does. I think it's just a poorly built team, at least from a regular season perspective. Brett deserves some blame for the roster construction though. He clearly doesn't want to put another PG on the floor with Ben for whatever reason.

[GeorgeMarcus]

Bret Brown is a fine coach. Not sure at all why he's being casted out as some scapegoat. Their two most talented players simply do not compliment each other. And they don't have enough shooting to off-set it. Bret Brown had the vision to highlight Ben Simmons strengths as a ball handler and playmaker, designating him as a "point guard", but I'm certain it wasn't Brown's plan that Simmons wouldn't work on his game and be a confident and assertive offensive player. Their personnel moves have been odd and have only compounding the ill fit of those two players. They're still a good team, but those early seaons notions that they were going to pace their way thru the East with ease were always hilarious. Not without Jimmy Butler they weren't.

Th Sixers are 104-49 in games Simmons/Embiid have played together. As much as I love Butler, he wasn't able to elevate the team for us once Embiid got injured. The reality is that he was a worse fit next to Simmons than Embiid is. The best possible duo would be Butler/Embiid, but given the difference in timeline the FO went in a different direction.

I think you're giving BB way too much credit, even though he's generally been a good locker room presence. He doesn't bring anything to the table as an offensive tactician, and that's been true throughout his tenure.

[Lockdown504090]

New season, same old story... 21-10 (56-win pace) with Embiid and 4-6 (33-win pace) without Embiid. I could use this as more material to prop up my lord and savior, but I'm gonna take a different route this time: Brett Brown has got to go.

If Scott freaking Brooks can trot out the G League Wizards and look competitive, there should be no reason Brown can't salvage mediocrity (at a minimum) with Simmons/J Rich/Tobias/Horford. This isn't a new phenomenon or reactionary take. It was the same story last year going 8-10 with Simmons/Redick/Butler/Tobias.

Even when Embiid plays, we're consistently awful out of timeouts and have no sense of structure within the offense. How can we not blame the coach knowing all that we know? I like the guy- I really do- but enough is enough. He had to know his ass was on the line when the Sixers committed to win-now mode. My only worry is that his rapport with the FO will cloud their judgement and prevent them from making the right decision.

To answer the question that will inevitably arise: yes, I'm willing to gamble on an unproven coach in the event of a Brown firing. I get that it's slim pickens right now when it comes to known commodities, but it's better to take a risk on someone new than cling to a losing formula.

This remind me of when the raptors wouldnt fire dwayne Casey for the same reasons. Its crazy how these FO people can witness the same situations over and over around the league and not wisen up. Embiid doesn't have forever to be a superstar, dont waste it

[GeorgeMarcus]

3 point shooting is just highly variable. I don't really buy that these guys shooting poorly has much to do with the coaching. Shooting (as well as playmaking) was a pretty glaring issue going into the year.

Harris has had exactly 1 full season shooting over 40% from 3 in his career, and was shooting at an unsustainable level for him when he came over.

Conversely Scott was shooting .391 when he came over, and then shot .412 from 3 the remainder of the year with the Sixers.

Looking at the big new comers, I think Horford is being forced into a role he's not all that comfortable with because of the presence of Embiid and Simmons. The team needs a volume, catch and shoot floor spacer in his spot, and I don't think he's a great fit for that. Richardson just seems like he gets injured every time he starts to come on.

I'm assuming Brett had a major hand in putting together this clunky roster, so I don't really for bad for the position he's in. I'd be shocked if they made any type of coaching move before the offseason though. He'll get his chance in the playoffs. Anything less than an ECF appearance he's probably gone. And that probably won't be the only big change.

Harris focused on his 3pt shot before the 17-18 season, which is why I used that as a starting point (like starting with 15-16 for Horford). He averaged 42% over 135 games and 703 attempts. That's a pretty significant sample, and the drop off to 33.9% over 68 games and 327 attempts is a lot to chalk up to inherent variation. Especially when the rest of our volume 3pt shooters trended in the same direction when coming to Philly.

No doubt we could use catch-and-shoot guys, but I'm still convinced we're bearing the fruits of a flawed offensive scheme. The lack of rhythmic flow is glaring.

It's a significant sample, but still a cherry picked one. I don't imagine he's not still focused on his 3 point shot (pretty sure the Sixers preference would be that he takes more). He's taking pretty much the same exact amount. I just think he's more of a scorer than a pure shooter (poor man's Melo).

I don't really know what scheme fixes an offense that lacks playmaking and shooting to the extent that this team does. I think it's just a poorly built team, at least from a regular season perspective. Brett deserves some blame for the roster construction though. He clearly doesn't want to put another PG on the floor with Ben for whatever reason.

I don’t agree that it was cherry picked because Harris’ increase in 3pt volume in 17-18 has persisted every season since. It was more or less a new tool in his toolkit.

If Ben added any semblance of a 3pt shot to his repertoire, spacing really wouldn't be an issue. Unfortunately he didn't. I don't think playmaking is much of an issue to be honest, but our lack of catch-and-shoot players has been pretty glaring.

[reborn123]

Fire Brown, trade Simmons for a legit 2nd scoring option that can also space the floor and PHI will be deadly.

Trade Horford and Simmons for CP3, Gallo and some picks

[bigbreakfast]

If you gift Simmons to the Warriors that would be disastrous to the small amount of parity we have received this season.

Curry
Klay
3nD wing
Simmons
Green

That lineup would cause pure destruction.

Would it though? Still have two Point Forwards who cant shoot and want to pass in Draymond/Simmons. Seems like an odd fit, despite three other elite guys surrounding them in Klay/Steph/3andD(Covington?)

I agree... The thing is... Simmons is an odd fit on pretty much any team at this point. He's immensely talented, but comes with an enormous caveat that is a major challenge within the modern NBA. If I'm Philly, I'm gunning for DLO. He would open up the offense immediately. DLO/Embiid would be a problem.

Green is at best an average 3pt shooter even while left ridiculously open by NBA standards. However, he was for the most part a willing shooter enough to keep the defense honest just enough to make that team work offensively. Simmons, on the other hand, shouldn't even be categorized as a bad 3pt shooter or bad shooter. He is so much worse. He is so bad/scared/unwilling he's incapable of even attempting shots (not just 3s) and he shies away from situations that can put him at the charity stripe. I think Simmons, unless major changes, is one of the most overrated players in the NBA and will be a fatal flaw for a team with championship aspirations.

[dakomish23]

Give it time

[youngcrev]

Harris focused on his 3pt shot before the 17-18 season, which is why I used that as a starting point (like starting with 15-16 for Horford). He averaged 42% over 135 games and 703 attempts. That's a pretty significant sample, and the drop off to 33.9% over 68 games and 327 attempts is a lot to chalk up to inherent variation. Especially when the rest of our volume 3pt shooters trended in the same direction when coming to Philly.

No doubt we could use catch-and-shoot guys, but I'm still convinced we're bearing the fruits of a flawed offensive scheme. The lack of rhythmic flow is glaring.

It's a significant sample, but still a cherry picked one. I don't imagine he's not still focused on his 3 point shot (pretty sure the Sixers preference would be that he takes more). He's taking pretty much the same exact amount. I just think he's more of a scorer than a pure shooter (poor man's Melo).

I don't really know what scheme fixes an offense that lacks playmaking and shooting to the extent that this team does. I think it's just a poorly built team, at least from a regular season perspective. Brett deserves some blame for the roster construction though. He clearly doesn't want to put another PG on the floor with Ben for whatever reason.

If Ben added any semblance of a 3pt shot to his repertoire, spacing really wouldn't be an issue. Unfortunately he didn't. I don't think playmaking is much of an issue to be honest, but our lack of catch-and-shoot players has been pretty glaring.

They miss JJ a lot more than I expected. I really think they need a guy that can provide volume from 3 and hit shots on the move rather than just and a catch and shoot guy. The DHOs that were a staple of the offense have pretty much disappeared. And with how teams defend Ben and Jo, I think it's a necessity.

[GeorgeMarcus]

It's a significant sample, but still a cherry picked one. I don't imagine he's not still focused on his 3 point shot (pretty sure the Sixers preference would be that he takes more). He's taking pretty much the same exact amount. I just think he's more of a scorer than a pure shooter (poor man's Melo).

I don't really know what scheme fixes an offense that lacks playmaking and shooting to the extent that this team does. I think it's just a poorly built team, at least from a regular season perspective. Brett deserves some blame for the roster construction though. He clearly doesn't want to put another PG on the floor with Ben for whatever reason.

If Ben added any semblance of a 3pt shot to his repertoire, spacing really wouldn't be an issue. Unfortunately he didn't. I don't think playmaking is much of an issue to be honest, but our lack of catch-and-shoot players has been pretty glaring.

They miss JJ a lot more than I expected. I really think they need a guy that can provide volume from 3 and hit shots on the move rather than just and a catch and shoot guy. The DHOs that were a staple of the offense have pretty much disappeared. And with how teams defend Ben and Jo, I think it's a necessity.

He was always such a detriment defensively though, especially come playoff time. Coaches like Brad Stevens knew how to pick him apart. I agree about the DHOs though- I think Embiid especially relied on that element of the offense.

[jbent87]

Would it though? Still have two Point Forwards who cant shoot and want to pass in Draymond/Simmons. Seems like an odd fit, despite three other elite guys surrounding them in Klay/Steph/3andD(Covington?)

I agree... The thing is... Simmons is an odd fit on pretty much any team at this point. He's immensely talented, but comes with an enormous caveat that is a major challenge within the modern NBA. If I'm Philly, I'm gunning for DLO. He would open up the offense immediately. DLO/Embiid would be a problem.

Green is at best an average 3pt shooter even while left ridiculously open by NBA standards. However, he was for the most part a willing shooter enough to keep the defense honest just enough to make that team work offensively. Simmons, on the other hand, shouldn't even be categorized as a bad 3pt shooter or bad shooter. He is so much worse. He is so bad/scared/unwilling he's incapable of even attempting shots (not just 3s) and he shies away from situations that can put him at the charity stripe. I think Simmons, unless major changes, is one of the most overrated players in the NBA and will be a fatal flaw for a team with championship aspirations.

right. Which is why I said the Simmons/Draymond same team pairing wouldn't work.

[Tomjas]

I agree... The thing is... Simmons is an odd fit on pretty much any team at this point. He's immensely talented, but comes with an enormous caveat that is a major challenge within the modern NBA. If I'm Philly, I'm gunning for DLO. He would open up the offense immediately. DLO/Embiid would be a problem.

Green is at best an average 3pt shooter even while left ridiculously open by NBA standards. However, he was for the most part a willing shooter enough to keep the defense honest just enough to make that team work offensively. Simmons, on the other hand, shouldn't even be categorized as a bad 3pt shooter or bad shooter. He is so much worse. He is so bad/scared/unwilling he's incapable of even attempting shots (not just 3s) and he shies away from situations that can put him at the charity stripe. I think Simmons, unless major changes, is one of the most overrated players in the NBA and will be a fatal flaw for a team with championship aspirations.

right. Which is why I said the Simmons/Draymond same team pairing wouldn't work.

Simmons is a massive upgrade on Green (he’s a bigger, faster and more skilled version) and D’Lo ( have you seen them play against each other?)

Warriors should attempt to dump Russell on the Sixers and trade Green for pieces

Assuming Klay and Steph make it back to previous levels, they’re instantly favourites

[PennSports]

Bret Brown is a fine coach. Not sure at all why he's being casted out as some scapegoat. Their two most talented players simply do not compliment each other. And they don't have enough shooting to off-set it. Bret Brown had the vision to highlight Ben Simmons strengths as a ball handler and playmaker, designating him as a "point guard", but I'm certain it wasn't Brown's plan that Simmons wouldn't work on his game and be a confident and assertive offensive player. Their personnel moves have been odd and have only compounding the ill fit of those two players. They're still a good team, but those early seaons notions that they were going to pace their way thru the East with ease were always hilarious. Not without Jimmy Butler they weren't.

Th Sixers are 104-49 in games Simmons/Embiid have played together. As much as I love Butler, he wasn't able to elevate the team for us once Embiid got injured. The reality is that he was a worse fit next to Simmons than Embiid is. The best possible duo would be Butler/Embiid, but given the difference in timeline the FO went in a different direction.

I think you're giving BB way too much credit, even though he's generally been a good locker room presence. He doesn't bring anything to the table as an offensive tactician, and that's been true throughout his tenure.

This timeline stuff is a trash excuse for a front office that tried to get Jimmy back on a discount. Jimmy would be as old as Horford is now at the end of a 4-5 yr deal.