The Ben Simmons Megathread - Part IV

[sixers4real]

Julius Randle is an atrocious basketball player. What's going on in here...

I call it a hangover after no Simmons for Harden deal.

[syntax]

Julius Randle is an atrocious basketball player. What's going on in here...

Philly fans....

[76ciology]

We’ll see. It’s gonna be one of the discussions that would be fun to look back in the future.

Personally, I think Randle was nowhere near Ben from 2014-2018.

He improved from 2018 to 2020, to near Ben’s level, or atleast was moving upwards to Ben’s level.

But he has definitely surpassed Ben this season. Where Randle’s improvement and Ben’s decline both played its part.

What’s uncertain is if Ben and Randle can both continue playing at this level.

[phifans]

Serious question : Besides Ben Simmons who else in his age have made ZERO progress on offense in their first FOUR years here ?

I bet if there's someone he won't even last this long in this league...

[syntax]

Serious question : Besides Ben Simmons who else in his age have made ZERO progress on offense in their first FOUR years here ?

I bet if there's someone he won't even last this long in this league...

Name me someone who made All-NBA 1st team defense and All-NBA 3rd team in their first three years. Oh, and was also a two time all star.

Thanks.

Also I'll throw in leading the league in steals and pulling down 8 boards a game.

Thanks again.

[76ciology]

Serious question : Besides Ben Simmons who else in his age have made ZERO progress on offense in their first FOUR years here ?

I bet if there's someone he won't even last this long in this league...

You know why he didnt have any improvement?

Spoiler:

Serious question : Besides Ben Simmons who else in his age have made ZERO progress on offense in their first FOUR years here ?

I bet if there's someone he won't even last this long in this league...

Name me someone who made All-NBA 1st team defense and All-NBA 3rd team in their first three years. Oh, and was also a two time all star.

Thanks.

Also I'll throw in leading the league in steals and pulling down 8 boards a game.

Thanks again.

First year ROY
2nd year All Star
3rd year All NBA

But always has been the same player on offense.

I always hate how he’ll respond to his awards whenever people asks about his shooting (lack of personal development)

Just think about it. He never needed any reason to improve in his entire life until now.

You see guys like Julius Randle and Malcolm Brogdon about to pass him by in the hierarchy.

“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall,” predicts the book of Proverbs.

There are many situations in which being too sure of yourself can indeed undermine the very success you envision, as the work of the psychologist Jeffrey Vancouver shows. He has examined circumstances in which an increased sense of personal self-efficacy impairs future performance.

From the book “Perfectly Confident” by Don Moore

Ben was protected by Brett.

“Its ok Ben, you dont need to shoot. I’ll structure a system to hide you and your weakness on offense. I’ll protect you from guys like Fultz and Jimmy who wants to be lead guards for our team.”

He was getting exposed by Jimmy when Jimmy want to run a kind of system Doc is running right now with more PnRs (we’re 9th in PnR points generated off ball handler).

With doc, almost getting traded and some guys making the leap like Julius Randle, he’s getting exposed.

Have you seen Ben making those 3pt practice after games before this season?

Have you seen Ben trying to shoot more than after the game when he was almost traded?

I hope the best for Ben. I just hope this just wakes him up

[youngcrev]

I really hope he gets himself on track before the idiot fan base runs him out of town. It's been so ramped up since the Harden rumors. It's like Iguodala x10 when people were freaking out that he had to go because he wasn't a #1 option.

[sixers4real]

I really hope he gets himself on track before the idiot fan base runs him out of town. It's been so ramped up since the Harden rumors. It's like Iguodala x10 when people were freaking out that he had to go because he wasn't a #1 option.

I want Ben Simmons back to his form of Sixers Lakers game in Wells Fargo center.

[Bum Adebayo]

Yeah guys please stop propping up Ben Simmons because of his All NBA, those don't help win games in playoffs (when it matters, not in meaningless RS). The less posters praising meaningless accomplishments, the better we will be in the future, because Simmons cares too much about all star game and meaningless accomplishments instead of focusing on fixing his deficiencies. You are basically telling him "it's ok if you don't fix your deficiencies, you are still making ASG and winning All NBA".
We need him to improve his shooting and attack the rim more, what he has been doing until now is not ok by any means, we need him to reach the next level.

[spikeslovechild]

Serious question : Besides Ben Simmons who else in his age have made ZERO progress on offense in their first FOUR years here ?

I bet if there's someone he won't even last this long in this league...

I mean Nerlens Noel comes to mind all the same stuff he is shooting a 1000 jumpers a day and he still can't hit a jump shot but that was 2 1/2 years.

[PLO]

Jah was one....if we're talking other recentish high draft picks from across the league, Wiggins would be another. Thing is with Simmons he's obviously a cerebral player, usually that stands a player in good stead with their development, but something drastically wrong has happened at some stage, but I'm not going to beat that dead horse.

[6ers83]

He just needs to go even if you only get a average player back. Once the fans come back he’s going to get crucified in a big way it just isn’t going to work.

[ProcessDoctor]

My thing is, he needs to at least focus on ONE offensive skillset. We all harp on his shot, but if he'll truly never be a good shooter then he needs to re-direct his focus.

How about post-up game? Finishing/touch? Drawing fouls and improved FT%? If he focused on any one of these then he'd at least have something to go to on offense besides assisted buckets at the rim.

He'd be an acceptable offensive player if he had any of those things, which is why there's still that small part in many of us who think he might be worth keeping around.

[youngcrev]

He just needs to go even if you only get a average player back. Once the fans come back he’s going to get crucified in a big way it just isn’t going to work.

Yay, let's undercut our upside as a team because... reasons.

[youngcrev]

My thing is, he needs to at least focus on ONE offensive skillset. We all harp on his shot, but if he'll truly never be a good shooter then he needs to re-direct his focus.

How about post-up game? Finishing/touch? Drawing fouls and improved FT%? If he focused on any one of these then he'd at least have something to go to on offense besides assisted buckets at the rim.

He'd be an acceptable offensive player if he had any of those things, which is why there's still that small part in many of us who think he might be worth keeping around.

I don't really get why they don't try to get him the ball at the elbow more often where he can either face up a drive or be used as a passing hub. That's basically where he ends up on his drives most of the time when they cut off the paint. It would cut out those scenarios where he's driving without a plan and throwing the ball away. I just don't get the purpose of him driving against a set defense from the perimeter.

I'd also like to see them try to use him as a roll man. They used him as a screener a little more often last game, but the personnel on the floor was awkward for it. Getting him out there with Shake on ball and shooters on the wings for some spread pick and roll could be highly effective. Not so much when you've got Dwight and Maxey out there.

[phifans]

I just don't get why you guys keep lowering your expectations and standards for Ben ? Does that benefit the whole team since he can't reach his potential for whatever reasons then you decide you are gonna be satisfied with him to be a defensive specialist who barely has one offensive skillset just to be an acceptable offensive player ?

Is that what you guys hoped for when he got picked four years ago ? Is that what you expected after his amazing rookie season back to 2017 ?

Or maybe it's just too hard to call it the end of our hope...

[davesilver]

We’ll see. It’s gonna be one of the discussions that would be fun to look back in the future.

Personally, I think Randle was nowhere near Ben from 2014-2018.

He improved from 2018 to 2020, to near Ben’s level, or atleast was moving upwards to Ben’s level.

But he has definitely surpassed Ben this season. Where Randle’s improvement and Ben’s decline both played its part.

What’s uncertain is if Ben and Randle can both continue playing at this level.

In a playoff series I'm comfortable putting Ben on the best player. I'm not comfortable with Randle doing the same

[76ciology]

We’ll see. It’s gonna be one of the discussions that would be fun to look back in the future.

Personally, I think Randle was nowhere near Ben from 2014-2018.

He improved from 2018 to 2020, to near Ben’s level, or atleast was moving upwards to Ben’s level.

But he has definitely surpassed Ben this season. Where Randle’s improvement and Ben’s decline both played its part.

What’s uncertain is if Ben and Randle can both continue playing at this level.

In a playoff series I'm comfortable putting Ben on the best player. I'm not comfortable with Randle doing the same

Ok. Then the player calls for a screen. Then just pulls up for a jumper. Duncan Robinson scored 26pts getting chased by Ben. How? He got open looks with screen plays.

Defense is a concept sold to mediocre teams to make them believe they have a chance. When the best offensive players are on contenders like Brooklyn. Im not saying defense is not important, it’s just offense is lopsidedly more important. This league has turned this game into a contest of offensive firepower.

With Randle, I may have a chance to improve my points per possession off a Milton, Maxey or Seth PnR with Randle.

With Ben, I took a step back on my halfcourt offense while defensively teams can find a way to make him ineffective.

[76ciology]

My advise for Ben is work with what he have right now.

There’s no magic solution to turn him into a good shooter, so please dont try to shoot those 3s.

It doesnt show at the stat sheet but those misses can be deflating. And those tend to lead into long rebound that favors opponent’s transition offense.

But develop chemistry and opportunistic ways to score. By being a slasher and a roll man.

He’s gonna be Draymond Green for now. Screen, cut, floater passing, transition and defense.

Then our guys have to sacrifice for Ben, specially Biid. Biid has to sustain and keep shooting those FT line jumpers like Dirk. It’s good for him and for the team.

Then in the offseason, for your career, please stop doing crunches to get your 10 pack abs. We dont care if you are as fat as Harden. Please develop some basketball skills. Buy some ball hog gloves, if need be.

[davesilver]

We’ll see. It’s gonna be one of the discussions that would be fun to look back in the future.

Personally, I think Randle was nowhere near Ben from 2014-2018.

He improved from 2018 to 2020, to near Ben’s level, or atleast was moving upwards to Ben’s level.

But he has definitely surpassed Ben this season. Where Randle’s improvement and Ben’s decline both played its part.

What’s uncertain is if Ben and Randle can both continue playing at this level.

In a playoff series I'm comfortable putting Ben on the best player. I'm not comfortable with Randle doing the same

Ok. Then the player calls for a screen. Then just pulls up for a jumper. Duncan Robinson scored 26pts getting chased by Ben. How? He got open looks with screen plays.

Defense is a concept sold to mediocre teams to make them believe they have a chance. When the best offensive players are on contenders like Brooklyn. Im not saying defense is not important, it’s just offense is lopsidedly more important. This league has turned this game into a contest of offensive firepower.

With Randle, I may have a chance to improve my points per possession off a Milton, Maxey or Seth PnR with Randle.

With Ben, I took a step back on my halfcourt offense while defensively teams can find a way to make him ineffective.

Eh that's not really true. You can absolutely be a championship team with a defensive identity. I agree that most contending teams have an offensive-minded structure, but if a very strong defense gives us an overall better net rating, I'd say that's more effective than a better offense, worse defense, and a lower overall net rating.

I'd rather be a #1 defensive team, with a #8 offense than a #4 offense and a #10 defense, which is probably what we'd get by subbing out Ben with Randle.

But I'd agree with you in that I'd probably prefer a #1 offense and a #8 defense to the inverse. Great offense almost always beats out great defense in today's game