In the four years that Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons were on the same team, the Sixers experienced a decade of reorganization and lineup. There is a post-processing 76ers team, full of highly motivated role players such as Dario Saric and Robert Covington. There was the “FEDS” 76ers, and because Markel Fultz collapsed before he played in the NBA game, he was immediately waived. Jimmy Butler came to town and almost helped the 76ers beat a champion, and then the 76ers let him go, supporting the signing of Al Horford to protect Joel Embiid, only to slow down the big man in the process speed.

Change is the only constant in Philadelphia. Of course, unless you consider Simmons, his incompetence or unwillingness to change has brought the 76ers to a standstill, no matter what measures they take to solve this problem, they may fail in the same way at the same time.

The label has a certain meaning in sports, and Simmons has long been given a meaningful label-“point guard”. At first, when Simmons was just a young player looking for a way out, it just meant that Simmons would hold the ball in his hands many times. Of course his The first head coach is going to compare his game elements with Magic Johnson, butIf you sign a rookie contract—even a rookie contract that earns the first money—you can call the players and adjust the lineup so that they are actually another matter.

The Sixers spared no effort to try to do this. Simmons only scored one point in the playoffs against the Celtics, but it’s certainly okay, because they traded with the same Celtics to draft Fultz, and one had the score. Bao’s point guard can take the reins from Simmons. When Fultz spiraled upwards, the 76ers immediately began to fight for victory, choosing to pick a ball-controlling and domineering star among Jimmy Butler, and finally let him control the team during the 2019 playoffs.As long as they have a choice, the 76ers Have done When 2019 is unstoppable, he chose to stand behind the young and not so rude Simmons and bet on “Ben Simmons, point guard” as a winning behavior for the foreseeable future.

If you think your main organizer is doomed to fail as the main creator, then you will not invest the last financial resources on Al Horford.butIn Daryl Morey’s first year in office, the 76ers seem to have shown that they fully believe this.

They will never admit this, and whenever they are asked about this topic, they even kick and scream.Dr. Rivers defended Simmons so vigilantly that he fought back Simmons’ own assertion After losing their fourth game in Atlanta, he needs to be more aggressive. Although Rivers tried to find a way to explain what happened in their historic fifth game on Wednesday, his first instinct was to accept Simmons.

“I would say that the foul in the first half actually helped us,” Rivers said on Wednesday. “Actually, when they are in a leading position, we increase the lead [hacking Simmons], And the beginning of the third quarter. Bogdanovic and Hert fouled four or five times respectively. So in many ways, it came back, and it really helped us. Free throws missed in the fourth quarter. So I would say that this must affect us. “

Rivers is right-76ers Have done Simmons was chopped to pieces at the end of the first half, which increased the lead, thanks to his brick parade. But the team’s actions behind the scenes illustrate what their public comments cannot.

The front desk wanted James Harden in a terrible way, not at Simmons but including more young talents (and met a boss who didn’t particularly want to deal with them). They seriously pushed Philly’s own Kyle Lowry in the last few days before the trade deadline, and finally chose George Hill when they couldn’t find a price that suits them. The reason for this has always been clear: When things are imminent and things get tough, the 76ers simply can’t believe that Simmons leads the team. In so many words, leadership is the job of a point guard.

Simmons is not playing for a combative high school team from Indiana, which is led by an iron-fisted Bobby Knight admirer. In this league and at this level, point guards will change their willingness to play according to their preferences. They do what needs to be done, no matter what it is. For example, opponent Trae Young was unable to draw water from the boat in the 4th game, so he sent out 18 assists. In Wednesday’s deep hole, Yang scored 39 points for every technique and technique in the book, forcing Philadelphia to switch constantly to prevent him from going downhill.

But temporarily forget to become a point guard. Simmons can well reach the offensive responsibility level suitable for a good role player in any position.In the second half of this series, as Derek Bodner pointed out on Twitter After the fifth game, Simmons’ usage rate was lower than backup center Dwight Howard and injured winger Danny Green. In other words, his involvement is lower than a high ball goal/offensive rebound bald eagle and a catcher and shooter who is almost never asked to make any offense. This is almost the same as the usage rate of Brooklyn’s Joe Harris in these playoffs. Joe Harris has played alongside the three smartest perimeter talents in the NBA at all times. You may be involved more unexpectedly than Simmons.

Please note that this is not an accident. As Rivers pointed out, the Hawks have been trying to make hacking techniques useful to them on the scoreboard throughout the series, but failed. When they play directly against Philadelphia and beat them, their big runs often come. But the mental loss that Simmons admitted after the 5th game determined the 76ers’ offense. The players responsible for getting the 76ers into their lineup and diagnosing how to solve the problem are actively stepping out and letting others solve the problem. Simmons made a cross from midfield and the ball left his hand, which could also be the end of possession for him.

That is if he is not on the court at all. On Wednesday night, Simmons gave an oral speech with the confidence of a middle school student. He walked 14 times and he only tried 4 times. Rivers eventually had to let him withdraw from the game at a critical moment to avoid him from making the free throw line again.

If you are tracking at home, this leaves the 76ers without (you guessed it!) a point guard, and even after Simmons returned to the court, the ball was handed over to a low center and all kinds of Role player.

Rivers said on Wednesday: “You played time without Ben, yes, in the game, so I think we are ready, we are ready to do it.” “Obviously, we are today. Do it again later. You think this is a better question, the answer is no, but when Ben makes them, we can keep him in, and when he doesn’t, we can’t. That’s it. .”

that Yes That’s the way it is, this is the problem.In the past four years, Philadelphia’s roster changes have been described through the lens they need Both Young players. “Simmons and Embiid only need shooters by their side!” “Simmons and Embiid are not ideal!” Wait.

The fact is that these statements are all about Simmons, and Embiid is rarely mentioned.almost everyone Suitable for Embiid. Is it better to have a shooter by his side? of course. But Embiid is 7 feet tall, shoots as far as the three-point line, fits inside players, and the number of free throws will make most defenders and wing players blush. He is also one of the best defensive players in the league. This person supports everyone he has played with him, dating back to when he shared the floor with the human revolving door Sergio Rodriguez. When Butler and his heavy pick-and-roll style became popular throughout the city, Embiid formed a partnership with him. He and JJ Redick’s two offenses and the cover style that allowed Butler to make time at critical moments Switch between heroism seamlessly.

When we talk about bench lineups and rotations and why they don’t work, these conversations begin with them Can’t Because of Simmons. Tobias Harris was asked to support a bad second team, despite trying and failing miserably, because the moment Simmons and Dwight Howard played together was a disaster. To be clear, Howard has exceeded any reasonable expectations that you can achieve with a minimum salary backup in your 30s. The 76ers can be as small as many people hope, and their prize will be a lineup that hasn’t defended anyone in four years. This year, they lost points in the limited playoff representative of Simmons as a center so badly that they could not win playing time, and their offense played a good 90%.

Remember those early sublime comparisons with Magic Johnson and LeBron James? These have turned into some shot Simmons as a strengthened Draymond Green, the heart of the Golden State Warriors’ multiple championships. Simmons and Green are similar only in that they both have to solve problematic outside games.This is not Green’s diss, he is everywhere When it counts, organizes, screams, and plays as if he wants to chop off someone’s head. This is in stark contrast to Simmons being motionless in the dunker’s position, as if modeling for an undergraduate art class.

The history of Doc Rivers’ playoff collapse provides some cover for Simmons and other gangs, and pUsing Simmons as the only reason for the collapse of Philadelphia in the second half on Wednesday would be misled. Harris, he signed a $180 million contract, whether facing the bench or the starter of Atlanta, he is a deer in the headlights. Embiid was accused by Clint Capela of fading over time after the 4th game, and ran out of gas again after a terrible game in the first half. There was almost no performance on their bench, interrupting a season full of tedious efforts, and calling on Rivers to remove them all from the game. The head coach does not seem to have any solution, hope the 76ers can limp to the finish line as they have done throughout the season.

None of these things are as disturbing, terrifying and weakening the team as having a non-physical main outside promoter in the largest contract. The maximum money Simmons makes is not important in itself, but it limits the resources you can use elsewhere. If you don’t pick a superstar guard in a place where there is no one in the draft, you can only hope that professional role players and bargain steals can cover up the cracks in a base player. From doting on him publicly to requiring him to shoot at least three points per game, the coaches did everything they could. The end result is the same.

This is particularly maddening, because he seems to have more in his heart. When he rolls, Simmons not only dominates the field, but he is very confident on the field, blaming any suggestions or issues that he thinks are not worth considering. In poor form, maybe Simmons will reach out in the 6th game and pull out that version of himself, summoning the man who once dared to tell the Boos 76ers fans to “stay on that side” in the next game. China won the triple-double by 22 points.Hell, oneSimmons only needs some well-designed backs and inspiring conversations at halftime to make a difference in the third game.

But for everyone, whether it’s the fans, the media, or even the 76ers themselves, it’s all gone. Don’t pretend that why the 76ers’ current position is a mystery and why their problems have remained constant throughout so many iterations As one. They are not dead yet, but after the 5th game, it is difficult to get rid of the anxiety on the field. An unresolved question is-will this be?

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