Doc Rivers not concerned with Ben Simmons as a scorer for Sixers
Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons is one of the more unique superstars in the game. He has a huge impact on the floor, but he is not one to go out there and score a bunch of points, and sometimes that can frustrate fans and people who see his size and skill who believe he should do more out on the floor.
In Sunday’s 116-100 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, the team was missing Joel Embiid as he continues his recovery from the bone bruise in his knee. This is a game where Simmons should have stepped up as the team’s other star and put points on the board for his team as he did in February against the Utah Jazz when he scored 42 points.
On Sunday, he finished with only seven points on 2-for-6 shooting with seven rebounds and four assists. On a night where Embiid was out, one would think Simmons should be the one to step up and lead the way in scoring, but his offensive impact is shown in other ways.
“I think Ben’s a facilitator,” said coach Doc Rivers. “I think that’s what he does. I thought he did a great early on, and after that, I thought I thought they all got tired. As the game went on, less and less driving happened. I think you guys are way more concerned about him scoring than I am.”
The impact Simmons has is that he gets into the paint, he attracts the defensive attention, and he then kicks it to open shooters who can knock down those looks. It did not happen on this night due to fatigue, but still, Simmons should have done more in the scoring column on a night like this one.
“I think Ben does so many things for this team to help us win,” Rivers finished. “Scoring is just, I’m telling you, the least thing that I’m concerned about.”
Rivers is not wrong about Simmons doing other things. He is an elite defender, he creates open looks for his teammates, and he can push the break when the time calls for it. There are just some other nights, like Sunday, where he should be doing more on the offensive end.
The Sixers now hit the road for a 4-game trip beginning on Tuesday against the Boston Celtics.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
