After averaging less than 10 points per game in the second-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons has caught a lot of heat.
As the Hawks barely-viewed Simmons as an offensive threat throughout their seven-game series against the Sixers, Philly’s offense had major spacing issues and failed to find a rhythm at times.
During the regular season, he drained 61-percent of his free throws.
Although the 76ers lost their seven-game series against the Hawks as a team, Simmons garnered tons of blame as he failed to step up and help his team in the scoring department when they needed it the most.
“Ben has gone through quite a bit this year, and it’s not his fault that we lost,” said Danny Green.
There is a lot of work to be done in the offseason for Simmons, but Green and 76ers veteran big man Dwight Howard assure everybody that Simmons will come back better than ever next season.
“He might have messed up, didn’t take no shots, didn’t do whatever, but he’s going to come back better next year,” said Sixers center Dwight Howard.
I think he might be a little afraid of certain things, but because of how his interviews go, he doesn’t show much, I guess, emotions, but believe it or not, he cares.
While Rivers has gone to war defending Simmons and his limitations throughout the entire regular season and the playoffs, the veteran head coach isn’t blind to the fact that there is a lot of work to be done.