Ben Simmons might be the NBA’s version of a Rorschach test.
The city of Philadelphia, however, might study those same dots and disparage Simmons as an offensive liability. He’s a three-time all-star and a max contract player, for goodness gracious — make a shot outside the paint.
The “Ben Simmons narrative,” as his coach calls it, will live on as long as he’s one of the two franchise cornerstones, burdened with elevating the 76ers from The Process to the Promised Land. And the gulf between his defenders and detractors might only widen if the 76ers must rely more on Simmons in the potential absence of MVP candidate Joel Embiid during Wednesday’s Game 5 in Philadelphia.
When Embiid left the court with knee soreness Monday night, never to return as the Wizards sidestepped a sweep, Simmons didn’t pick up the pieces as Philadelphia’s remaining star. He gobbled up rebounds, 12 in all, but spent the majority of the game in foul trouble and scored just 13 points.
Simmons might have been more of an asset to the Wizards. Coach Scott Brooks deployed a strategy to intentionally foul him late in the fourth quarter. And Simmons, expressionless while bricking freebies in a tight game, missed his first attempt on three straight trips.
“I think I just got to stay aggressive,” Simmons said while responding to a question about whether he needed to score more when Embiid sits. “I’m not really worried about people fouling me.”
Rivers looked at the inkblot that was Simmons’s free throw shooting and saw three whole points in three possessions. He was fine with that. And even though Philly’s most fervent fans may need to glance away whenever Simmons steps to the line — he’s 5 for 20 in the series — Rivers only sees the highlights. Find someone who looks at you the way Rivers looks at his point guard.
“You guys keep this Ben Simmons narrative alive, which to me is freaking insane, how good this guy is and all the things he does,” Rivers said, chastising reporters after Monday’s loss. “Ben is not a 40-point guy. It’s not what he does. He does other things for your team, and I just don’t understand why that’s not sinking in [in] our city.”
It’s not sinking in outside greater Philadelphia, either. In March, Wizards play-by-play man Justin Kutcher made the on-air observation that Simmons was “one of, if not the, most overrated players in the NBA.” And at the risk of sounding like a “casual” — Simmons’s subsequent description of Kutcher — a reporter asked Rivers early in this series about criticism of his point guard.
“Honestly I have zero reaction,” Rivers said. “I really do. If you guys don’t know the treasure you have by now, then shame on everyone.”
Whether it’s more shooting, more points or just more, more, more from Simmons, he won’t be able to escape the critics nor the glare of the superstar’s spotlight as the playoffs intensify — especially under the specter of Embiid’s injury.
Embiid — who is doubtful for Game 5 — missed 21 games in the regular season. The 76ers staggered to a 10-11 mark without him; they were 39-12 with him. In this series, even while overmatching the Wizards, Philadelphia has produced a minus-7.7 net rating when Embiid is off the floor. On Monday night, the 76ers’ defense lost some bite without Embiid anchoring the middle and surrendered its most points since April 24.
“We got to prepare as if [Embiid] is not playing,” guard Danny Green said Monday night. “We don’t know how bad it is — hopefully nothing serious. But we can’t lose our identity, regardless of who’s on the floor or not. We’ve been able to win games with different lineups, and [Monday night] I feel like we kind of panicked. … We kind of lost our identity.”
Simmons knows his identity. He’s a slashing-and-passing point guard who can defend just about any player on the court. He is not, however, an effective scorer like Embiid. If the 76ers must play for an extended stretch with their MVP candidate absent or compromised, Simmons’s spotty shooting and limited offense could be a notable detriment. And as the spotlight gets brighter, both the passionate defenders who love his game and the vocal critics who demand more will be watching.
