Getty Sixers coach Doc Rivers threw Ben Simmons out of practice for being a distraction prior to the season opener.
The news of Ben Simmons possibly traveling to Philadelphia and sitting on the bench sent a rippling shockwave around the league. Why would Simmons subject himself to ridicule from the fans he bailed on?
Unless he had an ulterior motive. For example, the diva guard could sulk uncontrollably and play the role of victim. Simmons has two days to figure out his strategy for Thursday night’s game at Wells Fargo Center.
In the meantime, there has been a flood of speculation that the Philadelphia 76ers might turn the tables on him by producing a tribute video. They could cue up some of Simmons’ biggest highlights and play them on the Jumbotron during the game. That move would encourage fans to stand up and cheer, rather than boo the man who went No. 1 overall to the Sixers in 2016.
Head coach Doc Rivers was asked for his thoughts on the matter following Monday’s 121-106 win over Chicago. He thinks the video is a great idea and would help lead the cheers from his perch on the baseline. Rivers compared Simmons’ departure as a marriage gone wrong.
“He did a lot of good things here,” Rivers said. “It didn’t end well, right? Just like marriages and all kinds of other things don’t end well, right? But Ben did a lot of good things here and so it’s funny, I don’t know if we are or not [play a tribute video] but if we did I would have no issues with it.”
Doc Rivers thinks there should be a tribute video for Ben Simmons on Thursday night. Compared his tune in Philly to a marriage that didn’t work out. Still a lot of good times. #Sixers #HereTheyCome
Rivers didn’t want to get into what the reaction might be from the Philly faithful, though. He knows how loud and opinionated they can be, so he poked fun at the situation.
“No, I don’t get involved in that, I don’t know,” Rivers said. “Our fans are so silent so I can’t imagine anything happening.”
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DeAndre Jordan Looks Good in Sixers Debut
DeAndre Jordan logged 10 minutes in his Sixers debut on Monday night. The 6-foot-11 center scored three points and grabbed one board while allowing Joel Embiid to rest. Jordan was brought in at Rivers’ behest due to their time together on the Clippers, so the coach was watching his newest player with a critical eye.
“They were good, they were really good,” Rivers said of Jordan’s minutes. “You can see his length, his ability to roll, his ability to block shots, that is something he can do.”
Look at DeAndre Jordan doing his job (where is @NekiasNBA)
Remember, Jordan had been playing very sparingly this season for the Los Angeles Lakers. He averaged just six minutes per game in February before getting waived. The Sixers are looking for 10-15 minutes per night out of Jordan.
“It was great, you know, that’s what we’re going to need him to do,” Embiid said of Jordan. “We need him to play 10-15 minutes every night so just gotta come in, rebound, screen, roll to the basket, catch lobs, and then he’s a really good defender, too. He was calling out coverages and blocking shots and rebounding.”
lob city. 🌆
cc: @DeAndre
Sloppy at Times, Work in Progress
The Sixers have gone 8-2 since February 11, plus a perfect 5-0 since adding James Harden. They currently hold down the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and trail the Miami Heat for the top spot by three games. It might seem like they are rolling to the casual observer, but don’t tell that to Rivers. The Sixers are still figuring out their chemistry.
Joel Embiid on the new-look @sixers:
“We’re pretty good. But we’re not even close to where we can be.”
“Listen, like we won the game today, but I can’t say we played great tonight,” Rivers said after beating Chicago. “We know that, we’ve got to play better, the offensive rebounds killed us, the transition killed us. I thought we were sloppy at times on offense; stagnant, so we have to figure that out. We will, you know, like we say every day we are a team that’s progressing, getting better, but we aren’t there yet.”