There is difference in impact between Simmons and Embiid. Embiid is simply more impactful. He was on a minutes restriction last year. I don't think he played more than 25 minutes in any one game and the team record was 13-18.


This year without him they are 1-6. The problem with Simmons is that it is difficult to go to him down the stretch because of his shaky free throw shooting. Your franchise guy cannot be a 50% free throw shooter unless his name is Shaquille Oneal. I'm a Simmons fan but the key to this thing was and is Embiid. I stated it last year too.

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Your franchise superstar has to play in more than 10% of his career games. That's a bit more important than free throw shooting.

Simmons is the key to this whole thing. Embiid is a luxury that probably won't be available most years. Starting this upcoming offseason they need to retool the roster around Simmons. They'll have some flexibility even with Embiid's contract to make some moves.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

They are 1-6 with him and no Embiid. If Embiid goes down for any extended pd. of time this thing stalls.

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Simmons isn't as impactful as Embiid and I just provided the evidence. Of course Embiid has to play. That is not a revelation but the notion that Simmons can carry this team regardless of surrounding talent is foolish. They are 1-6 without Embiid and Simmons wasn't good enough to beat the Bulls and Sac the last 2 games. Again I say this as Simmons fan. I think it is another example of you overrating the guys that you like. You sort of jump out the water with them.

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I'm not going to draw sweeping conclusions off a 7 game sample size. Simmons is still a rookie and the rest of the roster outside of him, Embiid, Saric, and Covington simply isn't good. If they are still struggling a lot without Embiid by the middle of next season then I would say that is alarming and you are correct.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Wait... are you under the impression that Simmons won't improve? That this 7 game sample size is gonna define his career?

It's not overrating guys. It's usually not hard to tell if someone is going to be a future franchise guy pretty early on. Simmons is clearly one.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

_________________
I'm going to bounce from the spot for awhile but I will be back at some point to argue with you about this hoops stuff again. Playoffs have been great this season. See ya up the road.

I'm out.

No he will get better but saying that he will carry any team regardless of talent to 50 wins next year is pushing it. I don't think he will be that good. Certainly not by next year. This thing hinges on Embiid. I gambled on his health. His health is the key to this whole thing.

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Well, I do. We will likely find out 16 months from now who is correct.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Losing too many close games, I thought they'd win 50 and be a 3 seed this year.

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Learning how to win consistently in the NBA takes time.

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I can't tell if it's execution or coaching.

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without Embiid thay are 1-7 so the best young talent seems to be unfound

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I'm going to bounce from the spot for awhile but I will be back at some point to argue with you about this hoops stuff again. Playoffs have been great this season. See ya up the road.

I'm out.

as well as FF's contention that Simmons is the best player on the Sixers. It's clearly Embid.

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Nope it’s Simmons. This team would have the same record if Simmons missed 8 games. But he’s a franchise guy so he doesn’t miss 90% of the teams games.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

what he misses 75% can't shoot FT or from the field....I'm thinkin I MISS LTG

_________________
I'm going to bounce from the spot for awhile but I will be back at some point to argue with you about this hoops stuff again. Playoffs have been great this season. See ya up the road.

I'm out.

Brendan Haywood is fast becoming one of the best analysts in the game.

He presented an interesting observation regarding the adjustment teams have made with Ben Simmons. Teams are guarding him with bigs and simply giving room. rather than try and defend him with guards they are using bigs that simply challenge him at the rim. It seems like this adjustment is bothering him somewhat. He isn't scoring as much as he was earlier in the season. He is going to have to make an adjustment.

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They were 13-18 last season with Embiid and no Simmons. This with Embiid on a minutes restriction which prevented him from playing more than about 23 minutes per game. Embiid is more of a difference maker at this point of their careers.

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I still disagree on that but you might be right. Until Embiid plays a full season, we won't know.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Even without playing a full season it's clear he's the best young big man when he's on the court.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

“Young big man” is a pretty damn thin category, but regardless, I consider this to be entirely irrelevant until he plays 60+ games in a season and/or plays in the postseason without a minutes restriction.

It doesn’t matter how good a player is if he’s not playing.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Yeah but when he plays he makes a difference. You've anointed Simmons (who i like by the way) but he has played in fewer games than Embiid and has had less impact.

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Are you equating missing your first year of play with missing 90% of three straight seasons? Shirley you can see the difference.

If Simmons missed 1.5 of the next two seasons I would agree with you that he's not reliable going forward. Until then, I'm willing to write off one injured season as an anamoly.

Simmons is hitting the rookie wall currently though, maybe a bit earlier than usual. I'm sure both of us are interested in seeing how he responds to it.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Sixers were gonna lose anyway but man that is a horseshit tech at the end. It's technically a good call by the refs but players do that shit all the fucking time at the end of games. Saric corrected himself and backed up by the time the Portland dude was actually ready to inbound it.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

_________________
I'm going to bounce from the spot for awhile but I will be back at some point to argue with you about this hoops stuff again. Playoffs have been great this season. See ya up the road.

I'm out.

i agree with ltg....Haywood is good. And entertaining too. About 100x better than Caron Butler

"interesting" and "observation" is the sort of verbiage that will never be used in conjunction with you.

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Yeah Butler adds nothing. NBA TV/TNT usually does a good job of selecting analysts. I don't think he will be around too long.

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Ben Simmons at LSU 1-3 3pt in 32 games
NBA 0-3 3pt in 33 games did ol' Brendan analyze that? Here's an interesting observation at the end of the year your ass is going to owe me a Benjamin

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I'm going to bounce from the spot for awhile but I will be back at some point to argue with you about this hoops stuff again. Playoffs have been great this season. See ya up the road.

I'm out.

Everyone knew Simmons couldn't shoot. That's not an astute observation.

Still early money on the bet and I have tbem fading soon. Very soon. You better hope Embiid gets hurt. Help in on the way in Philly. Philly has room to grow. Minnesota doesn't.


There is still an outside shot for me. A puncher's chance if you will.

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