If Ben Simmons is going to be on the court, he needs to do something other than shoot free-throws
Ben Simmons has been one of the most talked about players in the league over the last few months for all of the wrong reasons. Here and there, we see glimpses into Ben Simmons’ full potential when he puts up crazy statlines and winds up with a triple-double or a double-double, but then he has games like he did in Game 5.
All series long, the Hawks have been playing around with an “analytical approach” to the game when Ben Simmons is on the court and they are essentially playing “hack-a-Shaq,” where they foul Simmons intentionally and send him to the free-throw line because the computer and numbers say that there is a better chance of him missing both or scoring just one point than the entire Sixers’ offense scoring 2 or 3 points on any given possession.
READ MORE: NBA Playoffs: Is this Hawks-76ers Series Atlanta’s To Lose At This Point?
During the regular season, Ben Simmons shot 61.3% from the free-throw line, which is not good at all and ahead of Game 5 in this series, he was shooting 34% from the free-throw line, which is pitiful. Simmons is an All-Star and All-NBA performer, yet he is shooting below 35% from the free-throw line… just let that sink in.
In Game 5, Ben Simmons had 9 assists, which is good, but he had just 8 points on just 2-4 shooting and 4-14 shooting from the free-throw line! Simmons is now shooting 32.8% from the free-throw line in the 2021 NBA playoffs, which is pathetic!
If Ben Simmons is going to be on the court for the Philadelphia 76ers, he needs to be able to do something other than just miss free-throws left and right because he was a direct contributor to the 76ers’ second-half collapse. His missed free-throws gave the Hawks hope and when he would miss, they would go right down the court and score, cutting into the Sixers’ monster lead possession after possession.
Getting 9 assists is great, but Simmons is an All-Star that is 7-feet tall and has nobody on the opposing team that can guard him and he only took 4 shots the entire game. It is just baffling to think that given his length and athleticism that Ben Simmons has not looked to be aggressive very much in this series, which is why he needs to wake up and be ready to go in Game 5.
Seeing as the Hawks are looking to foul him every time down the court when they fall behind in games, Simmons needs to take advantage of the smaller defenders on Atlanta early on in Game 6 and attack the rim. John Collins and Clint Capela are proven rim protectors, but if Ben Simmons goes hard to the rim and attacks on offense, nobody will be able to block his shot nor keep up with him.
Another performance like this from Simmons will eliminate the Philadelphia 76ers from title contention this year and could very well force the 76ers to look for trade options involving the versatile 7-footer. At some point, enough has to be enough and there is only so much you can do with Ben Simmons if you are the 76ers, which is why if they lose Game 6, that could very well end up being the last time Simmons puts on a Sixers’ jersey.
