Examining Ben Simmons’ slump since the All-Star break
During the eight games he has played after the break — Simmons missed one game with left knee soreness — his offensive numbers are down.
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Remember before the All-Star break, when Ben Simmons was playing at an elite offensive level for the 76ers?
The Sixers point guard earned his third consecutive All-Star berth and was on a roll. In the nine games leading to the break, he averaged 22.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 3.0 turnovers and shot 64.7% from the field and 75% from the foul line. He had an average plus-minus rating of plus-6.1 in 36.2 minutes per game.
Simmons was scoring more, driving aggressively to the basket and continued to be a force on defense, where he remains a major candidate for Defensive Player of the Year.
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He missed the first two games after the All-Star break due to health and safety protocols (contact tracing) after a barber who gave him a haircut tested positive for COVID-19.
During the eight games he has played after the break — Simmons missed one game with left knee soreness — his offensive numbers are down. In those eight games, he has averaged 14.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 4.8 turnovers, while shooting 48.4% from the field, and 54.8% from the foul line in 33.5 minutes. His average plus-minus rating is plus-2.3.
Coach Doc Rivers, when asked after Tuesday’s 104-95 loss at Denver if Simmons was healthy, replied, “I think he is healthy, he’s got to play better, we all have to play better.”
When asked about his recent performance, Simmons acknowledged that his play hasn’t been up to par.
“Yeah, I mean there’s a lot going on, but I have to get my (stuff) together,” Simmons said. “We have to get back on track as a team.”
It hasn’t helped that all eight games he has appeared in since the break have been without Joel Embiid, who hasn’t played since suffering a bone bruise in his left knee during a 127-101 win at Washington on March 12.
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Embiid makes everybody better by the defensive attention he draws. Yet on Feb. 15 when Embiid was sidelined with back soreness, Simmons scored a career-high 42 points in a 134-123 loss at Utah.
Simmons mentioned that the altitude was a problem in Tuesday’s game, but that wouldn’t explain some of his other recent performances such as in last Thursday’s 109-101 road win over the Los Angeles Lakers, when he shot 1-for-7 and committed seven turnovers. Or two other games during this span when he had seven turnovers, a 109-105 home loss to Milwaukee on March 17 and a 101-100 overtime win at New York on March 21.
It could be that Simmons is trying to do more in Embiid’s absence.
Either way, he is hoping that things can change when the Sixers conclude their season-long six-game road trip Thursday in Cleveland. The Sixers, who are 3-2 on the trip, look to snap a two-game losing streak, which includes Saturday’s 122-112 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Cleveland’s record is 17-30, with a 2-0 mark this season against the Sixers. The Cavaliers will be rested, having not played since Monday’s 114-75 loss at Utah.
“After tonight we can’t wait to play them,” said Simmons, who has averaged 19.5 points and shot 64% from the field in the two losses to the Cavs. “They got the number on us right now and obviously we believe we are the better team so we have to prove that, show that, and be ready also. We know we are going home so maybe that will give us a little more energy.”