Doc Rivers says not to worry about Ben Simmons’ offensive struggles | Off the Dribble
Simmons has seen a dramatic offensive decline in his statistics per 100 possessions over his first 12 games this season.
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Good morning, 76ers fans. With Sunday’s postponement against Oklahoma City, this is the longest the Sixers have had off between games during the season’s first month.
On Tuesday, the Sixers held a full practice, one of the few since opening day, and coach Doc Rivers said a lot was accomplished.
One player who could use some extra work on the offensive end is Ben Simmons. Besides his reluctance to shoot from the perimeter, his numbers are down. Rivers said he isn’t worried. Should he be?
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— Marc Narducci (offthedribble@inquirer.com)
Declining numbers
Simmons’ offensive statistics are down by quite a bit this season. Just look at his numbers per 100 possessions, courtesy of basketball-reference.com, from last year compared to this year. (We will leave out three-point shooting stats for obvious reasons.)
2019-20: 15.5 FGA; .580 FG%; 7.2 FTA; 22.5 ppg.; 4.8 TOV;
2020-21: 13.0 FGA; .500 FG%; 6.7 FTA; 17.3 ppg.; 5.9 TOV
So this season, he is attempting fewer shots, getting to the free-throw line less, shooting a much lower percentage, and committing more turnovers.
In light of that, Rivers was asked if he would like to see Simmons more aggressive, looking for his own offense.
“No, I really don’t care — honestly, I don’t even look,” Rivers said.
Rivers has been consistent about this stance, but he’s going to need more from Simmons, especially in shots around the rim. Here are Simmons’ shooting stats from various distances via basketball-reference.com:
2019-20
Shots at the rim: 297-for-413 (.719)
Shots 3 feet to <10 feet: 72-for-197 (.365)
2020-21
Shots at the rim: 39-for-59 (.661)
Shots 3 feet to < 10 feet: 13-for-40 (.325)
Simmons is missing many layup opportunities. He has been getting to the rim but not finishing, often shooting off-balance.
Last season, Simmons played 57 games, and so this year, there have been only 12 games, a point that Rivers makes.
“Right now, we don’t have enough in to see where any of our guys are at, to be honest,” Rivers said. “And we’re working on it.”
Starting five
Joel Embiid, who missed Saturday’s 106-104 loss at Memphis because of pain in his right knee, is expected to return for Wednesday’s home game against the Boston Celtics.
Rivers details the difficulty of coaching the Sixers during a pandemic.
Keith Pompey reported that the Sixers returned from Sunday’s postponed game in Oklahoma City with no new positive COVID-19 cases.
The Sixers have remained in the top 10 while the Los Angeles Clippers have taken the top spot in the third weekly Inquirer NBA power rankings.
In his podcast, Pompey discusses how the NBA season has been a disappointment so far. His biggest complaint is the uncertainty caused by players in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
A late first-round gem for the Celtics
It’s still early, but the Celtics got one of the better late first-round finds in this past NBA draft in Payton Pritchard, a 6-foot-1 guard from Oregon.
Pritchard, who will turn 23 on Jan. 28, was the No. 26 overall selection. A four-year player at Oregon, he was the Pac-12 Player of the Year as a senior, averaging 20.5 points and 5.5 assists and shooting 41.5% from three-point range.
This season, he has appeared in all 12 games for the 8-4 Celtics and is averaging 8.8 points, shooting 43.2% from three-point range, in 22.7 minutes per game.
Sixers fans got an up-close look at Pritchard during the first preseason game for both teams. The Sixers won that game, 108-99, but Pritchard displayed an aggressive offensive attitude. In 21 minutes and 35 seconds, he scored 16 points, hitting 6 of 10 shots from the field.
Pritchard plays as if he belongs, with little fear of taking it to the basket, or looking for his own shot. His season high was 23 points in a 126-114 win at Toronto on Jan. 4.
Sixers fans will get to see him twice within the next three days with the Celtics in town for games Wednesday and Friday.
Important dates
Wednesday: Boston Celtics at Sixers, 7 p.m., Wells Fargo Center, ESPN/NBC Sports Philadelphia
Friday: Boston Celtics at Sixers, 7:30 p.m., Wells Fargo Center, ESPN/NBC Sports Philadelphia
Saturday: Sixers at Detroit Pistons, 7 p.m., Little Caesars Arena, NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus
Monday: Sixers at Detroit Pistons, 7 p.m., Little Caesars Arena, NBC Sports Philadelphia
Jan.. 27: Los Angeles Lakers at Sixers, 7:30 p.m., Wells Fargo Center, ESPN
Passing the rock
Question: When [Furkan] Korkmaz and [Seth] Curry return to action, how do you still find minutes for Isaiah Joe and the other young players who need playing time to develop? — David Rhode, @davidrhode on Twitter
Answer: Good question, David, and the answer is ... I’m not sure even Doc Rivers knows.
Joe has made the most of his playing time. In the last five games, he has averaged 12.4 points and shot 43.6% from three-point range. He has also averaged 28.9 minutes, although that was helped by playing 44:51 in the 115-103 loss to Denver, when the Sixers had only seven available players.
That said, Joe has done enough to earn some minutes. While Rivers would love for the young players to develop, his main priority with a veteran team is to win games. Rivers talked about how he has gained more confidence in Joe’s defense in addition to his shooting. Joe might have trouble getting double-digit minutes when all return, but I still see him getting some, possibly cutting into Korkmaz’s time.