Tag: Ben Simmons

What the team looks like with Harden

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

The trade finally happened. Ben Simmons is a Net, along with Andre Drummond and Seth Curry. The two first-round picks will be so late they will not matter at all. The Nets likely asked for them so that they could trade them in the future.

Harden is a top 10 player and one of the greatest one-on-one scorers of all time. He and Joel are instantly the best 1-2 punch of any team in the league. The Sixers are now a real title contender and Vegas odds have them as a top 4 team right after the Nets, Suns, and Warriors. We wanted a championship contender and now we have one. What does the inclusion of Harden do to the dynamics of the team? The starting line-up is obvious. It will be Maxey, Harden, Thybulle, Harris, and Embiid. This is an easy one and everyone is expecting it. The big changes will be the rotations and how different players are utilized.

Joel Embiid
I do not expect a big change for Joel Embiid. He is the number one option and will continue to be that way. Harden showed that he does not have to be the number one option when he joined the Nets. He was comfortable setting up Irving and Durant. I am sure he will be equally comfortable setting up Embiid. Harden will likely play a lot of point guard. Embiid will take the ball up the court when it makes sense for a break, but otherwise either Harden or Maxey will bring the ball up. The big difference will be spacing for Joel. Harden draws multiple defenders. Joel should get many more one-on-one opportunities. The biggest worry will be the back-up center position. I hope that Rivers uses more staggered line-ups so that players like Bassey and Paul Reed can play meaningful minutes without hurting the team.

Tobias Harris
Toby has been in a tough position this season. He is an ideal off the ball third scorer. When he is in that position he is an All Star. Allow Toby to catch and shoot or quickly drive and he will score at a very high percentage. This season Toby has had to be the #2 option and at times a shot creator. That is not his strong point. He ends up dribbling too long and getting in trouble. Also, he is not a great passer and that shows when he is forced to lead the offense. Harden will change all of that. Harris is likely to be the big winner in this trade. I expect to see a lot of Harden drives with kickouts to Harris for a three. He will also play with Maxey who can do the same thing. Tobias should have a great end to the season.

Matisse Thybulle
I hear a lot of people worried about Matisse’s offense. He is an elite defender, quite possibly the best perimeter defender in the game. When he played with Simmons, it mattered that he could not shoot. Now he is playing with two of the top 10 scorers in the NBA and two strong scorers in Maxey and Harris. Like Draymond Green, his offense will not matter. Thybulle’s man can leave him to help out, but who is he going to help on? If he helps on Embiid then Harden has a one-on-one. If he helps on Harden then Embiid is going to be one-on-one. Harden is not a good defender. Thybulle’s defense becomes more important with Harden on the floor. I think that Thybulle is now a perfect fit with this new line-up.

Tyrese Maxey
Harden’s inclusion on the team will have the biggest impact on Maxey. Tyrese was the second option as a one-on-one player and played a lot of point guard on this team. Harden will take over both of those roles. Maxey will continue to start, but his role will change a lot. When he is with the starting line-up, I expect to see Maxey spending a lot more time in the corner looking to catch and shoot. He will likely lead some fast breaks, his role in the half court offense will be much more off the ball.

In addition, his rotations will likely change a lot. I expect to see Milton or Korkmaz joining the starting line-up early so that Maxey can play with the second team. With the loss of Drummond, it will be important to have starters who can create offense with the second team. Maxey will have to split time to make sure that they have a scorer when Embiid and Harden are resting. Harden and Embiid may stagger as well, but I think that Maxey is the more likely option during the regular season so that Harden and Embiid can rest.

Shake Milton
Shake has been out for a while and we have missed him. Shake is a very solid player who should be greatly helped with this trade. Shake is good at driving and an elite shooter when he has space. Don’t forget he had a streak of 14 straight three point shots just last year. His jump shot is a little low and slow, so he cannot create his a shot. With Harden and Embiid, he won’t have to. I expect the Sixers to play him more with the starters and he will love the open shots. He is a better catch and shoot player than Maxey and then can now use him that way. Shake will love this change.

Can the Sixers win the championship? I don’t know. What I do know is that in the near term Harden makes this team much better. I am excited for the second half of this season.

Ben Simmons Trade Update

The trade deadline is coming on quickly. Last week Daryl Morey was on the Mike Missanelli show saying that it was very likely that nothing would happen until the summer. Morey is a pro and he knows the importance of letting people know that he is not in a hurry. Throughout this process, Morey has played it smart by being patient. He knows that Simmon’s value is lessened because he wants out. He also knows that given enough time other stars will be in the same position. Now we are seeing his vision come to fruition. We are now hearing about three possible deals about three elite or borderline elite players:

  • James Harden,
  • Bradley Beal, and
  • John Collins.

Harden and Beal have led the league in scoring; while John Collins is a very athletic up and coming star. I am going to review each player, what the rumors are, and the pros and cons of a deal.

Getty Images

James Harden
James Harden is far and away the most likely option. Shams Charania, who is very plugged in broke the news yesterday. We all know that Morey has always loved Harden and he pursued him last year as well. Harden forced his way out of Houston when Morey left. He felt that they were no longer trying. The option of reuniting with Morey and getting to play with Joel Embiid has to intrigue him. Given the mess that we all saw coming in Brooklyn, it is no surprise that he would want out.

The pros of this move are obvious. Harden is one of the best one on one offensive players in NBA history. He is now 32 years old and no longer the same player as he was when he was setting records in Houston, but he is still an elite player who is a top 10 scorer. People worry about how ball dominant he can be, but I am not at all worried about that. Last season Harden chose to be a distributor with Kyrie and Kevin Durant and he was excellent. He can be the point guard on this team and teach Maxey how to play the position. Harden can also be that end of game clutch scorer that can work alongside Embiid. They would be nearly unstoppable during the playoffs when things get tighter. Adding Harden to this team makes the Sixers an immediate favorite for the title.

There are, however, a number of concerns with a deal for Harden. First, we would likely have to include another player or two to make it work. I would hate to lose players like Maxey, Curry, or Thybulle. Second, I worry about team chemistry. Part of the success of this team has been how close they are. They all trust and support one another. This is not something that Harden is known for. Does his presence change the way the team plays? Third, Harden is best off the dribble. I like how we are running the offense through Embiid so smoothly. Can Harden be a great catch and shoot player? That is something we have to see. Finally, Harden is a free agent next year and he is going to want BIG money. We still have a very young team and Embiid is just coming into his own. I would hate to trade away our biggest trade chip for a partial year rental.

Bradley Beal
Bradley Beal won the scoring title last year. He is the lone superstar on the Wizards, a team going nowhere. The Wizards started strong, but have fallen back recently. Beal has recently started questioning his long term fit with the Wizards. The Sixers have made no secret as to their desire for him, so the Beal/Simmons rumors have taken off. Scott Rafferty of The Sporting News has a good article on this topic.

There are a number of reasons that the Sixers should pursue Bradley Beal. He might be the best possible fit on anyone for this team. Beal is an elite scorer and shooter. He can break down defenders and beat people one-on-one and he can catch and shoot as well as anyone in the game. Beal would be a perfect scoring guard and would open up space for Embiid; while also being a great shot-creator when things slow down in the playoffs. Harden is still a better one-on-one scorer and passer, but Beal can catch and shoot as well as anyone in the league. Teams trying to defend Embiid and Beal would be in trouble. This move would also make Tobias better as he could focus on what he does well and not have to create as much. Also, from a chemistry stand point Beal trains with the same trainer as Embiid. I am sure that they have spent a lot of time together. As with Harden, adding Beal immediately makes the Sixers one of the favorites to win it all.

There are some concerns with Beal. He is a horrible defender. One of the worst in the NBA statistically. If we add him, we must have Thybulle to counterbalance his poor defense. Harden is not a great defender either, but he is much better than Beal. Beal is also much shorter and not as good of a passer and rebounder. It is possible that some of this is because of the team he was on. Maybe Doc Rivers and the Sixers culture would make him better, but this is definitely a concern. Beal is also going to be a free agent next year. He has shown more loyalty than Harden, so he is likely not as big a risk, but he could still leave. Finally, Beal is getting older and his numbers have dipped a lot this year. Is age catching up with him?

John Collins
John Collins is the last name on this list. He is not as established as Harden or Beal, but he is an up and coming player with a very high ceiling. He was a big key to the Hawks defense, rebounding, and though play last year. He is also becoming a better shooter. The Hawks are definitely shopping him and the Sixers have shown interest. The Hawks have been discussing a potential deal around John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and draft compensation. Read more about this on Yahoo Sports.

There are a number of reasons to like John Collins. He is young and would grow with this team. The window to win with him is 3-5 years long which aligns with the window for Embiid and the growth of the other young players. Collins is an elite rebounder and would instantly fix a part of the game that the Sixers struggle with. He is an excellent defender as you could see when he shut down Tobias Harris during the playoffs last year. He is also a decent three-point shooter. Collins would instantly make the Sixers a more athletic team and better defensively and as a rebounder. He could make the team better this year, but I am not sure that it would be enough to make them a title favorite.

The biggest problem with Collins is that he plays the same position as Harris. Harris is a great team leader, a borderline all star (he has the second highest scoring average of anyone not to make the all star game of the past three years), and a virtually untradeable contract. The Sixers would have to make a second deal with Harris for this to work out. I have one other concern about Collins. He has been vocal about wanting the ball more quite often as a Hawk. Would he be happy with his role on the Sixers?

My Thoughts?
Embiid looks healthy and he is having an incredible season. Assuming you do not have to give up Thybulle or Maxey for Beal or Harden and I think you have to consider those deals. I trust that Morey will make sure that he can lock these players up if they decide to come. My slight preference is Beal because I do not worry about him affecting the culture, but either player would be a big add.

The Latest on Ben Simmons

Posidelphia

Nothing has changed yet in the Ben Simmons saga, but we are starting to see signs of desperation that show Daryl Morey was right. As teams start to struggle, the thought of starting fresh with a talent like Simmons is becoming more and more attractive. In this article, I share the teams I am hearing about and my thoughts on each rumor.

Sacramento Kings. The Kings have completely underperformed this year. They started the year with a strong stance that their two best young players, Tyrese Haliburton and De’Aaron Fox, were untouchable. It sounds like all that has changed. The Kings are convinced that they need to make a change and are willing to trade either of those players. Before the season started I would have been very interested in De’Aaron Fox. The play of Tyrese Maxey has changed that. While he is not as good as Fox, he is young and quickly improving. The Sixers should value strong shooting wings over quick point guards. Clutch Points has a great article on a potential deal (https://clutchpoints.com/nba-trade-rumors-reason-kings-are-favorites-in-sixers-ben-simmons-sweepstakes/) in which the Kings get Simmons and Harris and the Sixers get Fox, Buddy Hield, and Harrison Barnes. While I am not sure that this is enough to get the Sixers over the top, it would open up a lot of money for them to go after a mega free agent this summer.

Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks are another team that is underperforming. They looked so promising in the playoffs last year, but they are simply not gelling. They are now interested in potentially trading John Collins. Collins is young, athletic and getting better every year. The only problem is that he completely overlaps with Tobias Harris. I love Tobias Harris, but value John Collins athleticism and potential more. The problem is that we would be trading Simmons for Collins and not Harris. While I like the idea of this trade, I just don’t see how it works unless we can include Harris and get another scoring wing in the deal. CBS Sports had a good article on this rumor. https://clutchpoints.com/nba-trade-rumors-reason-kings-are-favorites-in-sixers-ben-simmons-sweepstakes/

Boston Celtics. The Celtics continue to underperform. They just lost to the Sixers in a blowout and both Tatum and Brown were ineffective. While they remain strong that they do not want to break their two stars up, I hope that they continue to struggle and get desperate. Jaylen Brown would be a perfect fit with the Sixers and Simmons could improve the defense and the ball movement of the Celtics. I really think it could be a good thing for both teams. This is now my favorite option. I never like the Celtics, but this year I am rooting against them more than ever before.

Washington Wizards. The Wizards started strong this year, but have come back down to earth. They are just a little above .500 as an 8th seed and are clearly not ready to challenge the best teams in the East. Bradley Beal would be a perfect fit with Embiid, Maxey, Thybulle, and Harris. His one-on-one scoring ability would make everything easier for the team. If Bradley Beal truly wants to win, it is a very short ride up I-95 for him to land in a place where he can challenge for a championship in a city that would love him. Unfortunately, at this point this idea is similar to the Celtics and Jaylen Brown, more wishful thinking than real.

James Harden. James Harden and Joel Embiid could be an unstoppable pair. Putting these two together would instantly make the Sixers one of the teams to beat and a favorite to win it all. Unfortunately, that would not happen this season. Harden did not sign an extension and does not look like he will stay with the Nets. He left the Rockets because they got rid of Morey, so the Sixers would be a location he would be interested in. In order to make this happen, the Sixers would have to get rid of Simmons and Harris and then make a play over the summer. Keep an eye on how things play out this season as this signing is a very likely scenario if Morey is clearing cap space. Bleacher Report has a good article on this at https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10023468-james-harden-rumors-execs-think-76ers-want-ben-simmons-sign-and-trade-for-nets-star.

Ben Simmons will not be on the Sixers next season. The fact that the team has played so well without him gives Morey a lot of flexibility as to when he needs to make a trade. It will be both frustrating and fun to see what happens in the coming months.

Sixers Positives – Week ending 01/01/2022

The best Sixers news and articles from the week ending 1/1/2022.

Ben Simmons Trade Watch – 12/31/2021

Bradley Beal, Jaylen Brown, and Demian Lillard are my top three choices for the Ben Simmons trade watch. Daryl Morey has been patient and that patience may be starting to pay off. The Wizards, Celtics, and Trailblazers are all struggling this season.

The Wizards started the season 10-3. They are 8-14 since that hot start. Beal is a free agent next season and the Wizards are not looking like they can become a real contender. He would look awfully nice playing with Embiid, Harris, and Maxey. Beal’s outside shooting and ability to create his own shot would make a huge difference in the Sixers half court offense. Sixers Sense is all over it with their article Philadelphia 76ers should have Bradley Beal as Prime Target.

Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images

The Celtics are another team that is struggling and may need to make a change. They are 16-19 and 10th in the Eastern Conference standings. This is the second year in a row where the team is just not clicking. Watching them play you can see that Tatum just does not trust his teammates. Their offense is stagnant with a lot of one-on-one plays that end in low probability shots. Even their fans are thinking it may be time to consider a change. SB Nation’s Celtics Blog asks the question Should the Celtics consider trading Jaylen Brown for Ben Simmons?

Finally, the Trailblazers are openly talking about blowing things up and starting over. They have a veteren laden team that is just not good enough to compete in the Western Conference. They are 13-21 and way out of the playoff race. There are younger teams that are just plain better than the Blazers. Ben could play there and be the cornerstone of their rebuilding process. It is never good when the teams bloggers are posting Keep or Dump articles mid-season.

Hopefully we will have a good resolution within the next month.