Getty Images Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid during the tough loss to the Brooklyn Nets
The Philadelphia 76ers are a long way from playing at their highest level in 2018, that’s for sure. The same team that managed to hit a late-season hot streak, and win a playoff series is definitely still searching for that magic this season. Aside from their center Joel Embiid, the rest of the team has it’s major question marks. And yes, that includes their former first-overall pick, Ben Simmons.
If you look at the Sixers in comparison to last season, not much has changed. They were expected to add another big-name to join J.J. Redick and the rest of the young core, but they failed to lure anybody in. Markelle Fultz was supposed to be this new and improved talent, but he’s been quite average, if we’re being honest.
Then, Ben Simmons was supposed to have a better jump shot, but he won’t even attempt to shoot the ball. Everything that was a large issue last season, is the same exact problems in 2018. Except there is one area where the Sixers absolutely regressed; Their team chemistry is far from where it was last season at this point.
Where’s the Teamwork?
Last season, the Sixers were one of the most exciting teams to watch. Not just because they had a ton of youth that was overachieving, but because of the way they moved the ball around. There was a ton of team chemistry on the court that put them in a great position to win games. This year, it looks like a completely different story.
The turnovers are coming at a premium, and the ball movement just isn’t as great as it was. But worst of all, their superstar Ben Simmons is starting to worry Sixers fans. Not just because he’s not shooting the ball when he has the opportunity, but because he’s giving off signs of stat-padding.
Through 11 games, Ben Simmons is almost averaging triple-double numbers. 13 PPG, 7 APG, and 9 RPG look appealing on a stat sheet, but on the court, it seems evident and frustrating. Not only are the spectators noticing it, but Simmons’ teammate Joel Embiid might be getting frustrated about it as well.
Is Embiid Getting Frustrated?
The Sixers took on the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, in what everybody expected to be a consecutive victory for Philly. Unfortunately, the Sixers ended up getting embarrassed on the road to the Nets, after they came in as the favorite to win. But the lousy play from the Sixers all around wasn’t what fans were focusing on. It was the apparent selfish play from Simmons on the court.
There were at least three questionable moments where Simmons jumped Embiid to grab a rebound. At a certain point, Embiid became visibly frustrated. He started slowing his way down to the other end of the court with a transition to offense and even gave a bit of a questionable look to Simmons as he did it.
After the game, both, Embiid and Simmons were visibly frustrated with the way the Sixers have been performing. Specifically during Sunday night’s upset. Nobody has asked Embiid about his questionable effort after Simmons grabbed a few of his rebounds, but what we saw was definitely concerning moving forward.