Simmons has the Sixers rolling
PHILADELPHIA >> Ben Simmons sat in front of his locker with his left foot soaking in a bucket of ice big enough for a small child to swim in.
Simmons sprained the ankle with 3:12 to play in the first quarter of the Sixers’ 103-96 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies Sunday night at the Wells Fargo Center. He went to the locker room for evaluation and did not return until there was 8:18 remaining in the second quarter. “It’s sore,” Simmons said. As far as his status for Tuesday night’s game in Toronto, that’s a wait-and-see proposition. Odds are he will play.
A turned ankle could not slow down the suddenly hot 6-10 point guard. Simmons had eight points on 4-for-5 shooting when he was taken to the locker room. He finished with 19 points on 8-for-10 marksmanship, while adding 12 boards, six assists and two steals as the Sixers extended their winning streak to four games.
Over the last eight games Simmons is shooting 62 percent from the field (58-for-98). He’s only missed two shots from the field in his last two games. The 2018 Rookie of the Year was shooting just under 54 percent in the first 16 games, which is very good, but his latest stretch has been something to watch.
So what has changed? “Repetition and watching film with my brother (Liam),” Simmons said. “Every day I’m trying to watch film with him and get a lot better. He’s been helping me a lot with that.”
Liam Simmons played at San Diego Christian and coached at Nicholls State, Southwest Baptist University and Cal-Riverside. The two spent the summer working together to make Ben a better jump shooter.
That part of his game is still a work in progress. Simmons still has not attempted a 3-pointer, but you can’t argue with the results, especially over the last few weeks. Simmons is averaging 17.8 points and nearly 8.4 assists over the last eight games.
Simmons played down the numbers.
“I don’t really look at stats like that,” Simmons said. “I watch film and go back and see where I could have gotten better.”
And it’s not just his offense that has it on the upswing. Simmons’ defense has improved, too. Simmons played a key role on the defensive side as the Sixers held their third straight opponent under the century mark. Granted, those three opponents were the Grizzlies, Washington Wizards and New York Knicks.
The Sixers have to show they can defend against the league’s best, but it’s a start.
Call it the Jimmy Butler effect. A lot has changed since Butler arrived via a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves nearly a month ago for Robert Covington, Dario Saric, Jerryd Bayliss and a 2022 secondround draft pick. The Sixers are 8-2 with Butler in the lineup and starting to find a rhythm at both ends of the floor.
“I think we’re just getting better offensively and defensively,” Simmons said. “Defensively we picked it up. We’re getting better chemistry and trusting in each other a lot more. Offensively, it’s similar. It’s not easy to get used to new players that quickly. Obviously Jimmy (Butler) knows how to play the game the right way and he’s bought into our system so it’s been pretty quick.
“I think having him here is stepping everyone’s game up. Everyone wants to be at that level. It’s great having his veteran leadership there. In practices and on the floor he’s a very positive player and wants to see everyone do well so I think that’s a huge part of Jimmy that most people don’t know. I think he’s a great teammate.”