Joel Embiid, Sixers happy with Ben Simmons’ offensive aggressiveness
Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons is one of the unique stars in the NBA. He makes such a huge impact on the game, but he does so without being an elite scorer. He does a lot of things on the floor to get his teammates involved while being one of the elite defenders in the game.
Recently, it seems he has turned a corner on offense as he is getting to the basket a bit more and he is being aggressive on that end of the floor. On Feb. 15, he scored a career-high 42 points against the Utah Jazz. Then after missing two games with the flu, he scored 28 points on 9-for-11 shooting in Sunday’s loss to the Toronto Raptors.
“He’s been good,” said Joel Embiid who carries the offensive load on a regular basis. “We need him to be aggressive. He’s been doing a great job. We as a team, we’ve been moving the ball, sharing the ball. That’s the way we need to play.”
The impressive thing for coach Doc Rivers was him getting to the foul line. The 6-foot-10 freight train shot 14 free throws and he made 10 of them as he continues to make strides in that area of his game. Over his last three games, he is averaging 12 free throws per game, and he is also shooting them at 77.8% from the line over that span.
“Sometimes, it takes a little bit before you see what we’re trying to get and do and Ben’s doing it,” Rivers explained. “He’s aggressive, he’s getting to the basket and making plays, he’s forcing double teams with his speed. Our goal before the year was getting him to the foul line 10 times a night, and he did that.”
It would be helpful for Simmons and the Sixers if he can continue to this newfound offensive aggression. He is a different player when he is getting to the basket looking to score and a lot of teams really cannot stop him or stay in front of him. It would also take some of the pressure of Embiid and Tobias Harris a bit when the team needs a bucket.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
