Simmons shines for 76ers in preseason finale against Heat
By Dan Parzych
The Philadelphia 76ers ended the preseason on a hot note by winning their final two games.
Expectations were high for Ben Simmons when the Philadelphia 76ers used the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft on the former LSU standout, but unfortunately a foot injury prevented him from suiting up at all during the 2016-17 season. However, Simmons has looked completely healthy throughout training camp, and Friday’s preseason finale is just one of many examples as to why Sixers fans are beyond excited to finally get the regular season underway to see what he brings to the table.
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On Friday against the Heat, Simmons was nearly impossible to contain after finishing the game with 19 points to go along with seven rebounds and five assists to help the Sixers pull off the 119-95 win. And while these numbers look impressive, nothing compares to the fact that Simmons finished the contest on 9 of 11 shooting from the field, so it’s easy to see why there’s so much hype surrounding the rookie.
Based off what fans have seen in the preseason, Simmons seems to be playing with a ton of confidence at the moment, and seems determined to make sure Philadelphia lives up to the hype of being a contender in the Eastern Conference. Obviously, Simmons and the Sixers still seem to have a long way to go when it comes to truly competing with some of the other top teams like the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, but at least they’re moving in the right direction.
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How much of an impact Philadelphia can truly make this season will fall on the shoulders of Simmons after seeing how much potential he’s already showing now that he’s fully healthy. With a Wednesday matchup against the Washington Wizards to kickoff the 2017-18 season, here’s to hoping Simmons continues to look as sharp as he did throughout the preseason.