Philadelphia 76ers: Ben Simmons’ impact goes beyond just scoring

Exciting as it may have been, yesterday’s Game One victory over the Wizards wasn’t a perfect one for the Philadelphia 76ers. It came right down to the wire, and Philly (as a whole) had a handful of defensive lapses throughout the affair that probably shouldn’t have happened.

If it wasn’t for Tobias Harris dropping a playoff career-high 37 points, there’s a half decent chance that the Wizards would have pulled out the upset win.

One specific facet of yesterday’s game that drew the ire of fans was Ben Simmons‘ offense, or lack thereof. The 3x All-Star only recorded six points, going 3-9 from the field and 0-6 from the foul line. While the likes of Joel Embiid, Seth Curry, and the before mentioned Harris were able to pick up the slack, it was still something that people were annoyed about when the final whistle blew.

The only problem with any potential frustration regarding Simmons’ Game One performance is that people are completely ignoring the effect he had on the rest of the ballgame. Simmons finished the affair with 15 rebounds and 15 assists – both game-highs.

It’s been well documented by now, but Simmons is a bit of a “unicorn” compared to the rest of the NBA. A point guard whose game isn’t predicated around nifty ball-handling and high-volume three point attempts, Simmons has carved his own unique path to NBA stardom.

More from Section 215

• 4 Eagles on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots
• Best Pennsylvania Sportsbook Promos: Win $650 GUARANTEED Bonus PLUS $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket
• 3 Punters the Eagles Must Target to Replace Arryn Siposs
• Cowboys Trey Lance Trade Proves How Screwed They Are With Dak Prescott
• Devon Allen Took Britain Covey’s Job on Eagles

It’s become more common for him to lead a game in assists, rebounds, blocks, and/or steals than it is for him to finish a game the top scorer.

Sunday’s first battle against Washington was a perfect example of Simmons helping the Philadelphia 76ers succeed in a more unorthodox manner. His ability to create offense via the pass was exceptional, he stepped up from a rebounding perspective due to the early foul trouble that Embiid found himself in, and of course Simmons was doing all of this while being tasked with slowing down Bradley Beal.

While Beal still ended up dropping 33 points, he did so while being held 1-6 from three, and only being afforded six free throw attempts. Needless to say, Beal was forced to really work for every single one of those 33 points.

The Philadelphia 76ers don’t need Ben Simmons to drop 20+ to win games.

Simmons is a unique player due to the style in which he plays with, and Doc Rivers hasn’t been afraid to lean on said style throughout his debut season as Sixers head coach. Rivers has frequently stated that Simmons is at his best when focusing on distribution as opposed to scoring,   which is a statement that I tend to agree with. Despite his freakish size and athleticism, Simmons is still a point guard at heart when it comes to things like passing.

While Simmons’ 0-6 performance from the charity stripe is definitely worth scrutinizing, don’t let his lack of scoring on Sunday fool you. Simmons was wildly impactful in a handful of different categories, and the Philadelphia 76ers likely don’t win that game if it wasn’t for Simmons having an above average game from a rebounding/passing/defense perspective.

There might be a time this postseason where Simmons is called upon to drop 25+, but during Sunday afternoon’s win, the team simply needed Simmons to be Simmons – and he did that to a near-perfect level.