As the 2021 playoffs continue to haunt Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid’s umpteen turnovers miss the radar.
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Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid had their short intervals of success in Philadelphia but failed to achieve their actual ceiling. The All-Star duo had an impressive 144-63 record as teammates but couldn’t sustain much come postseason, with the 2021 playoffs being the final nail in the coffin.
Sixers Playoff History in the Joel Embiid/ Ben Simmons Era:
2018: Lose 4-1 Round 2 to the Celtics
2019: Lose 4-3 Round 2 to the Raptors
2020: Lose 4-0 Round 1 to the Celtics
2021: Lose 4-3 Round 2 to the Hawks pic.twitter.com/jphGEmoenv— Top Ball Coverage (@TopBallCoverage) June 21, 2021
The 2020-21 season had the Sixers finish their campaign as the top seed, with Simmons being a top contender for the DPOY and Embiid showcasing his offensive skill set. However, things went downhill come the postseason, with the Philly team suffering a semi-finals exit against the relatively inexperienced Atlanta Hawks.
Lowest FT% in a single playoffs in NBA history (min 70 attempts):
34.2 — Ben Simmons in 2021
37.4 — Shaquille O’Neal in 2006
38.0 — Wilt Chamberlain in 1968Elite company. pic.twitter.com/s14R8cCSKm
— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 21, 2021
Simmons turned into the overnight villain, with his inability to shoot the ball exploited to the maximum. Probably any athlete’s worst nightmare, the former Sixers guard had his deficiencies exposed globally. The Hack-a-Simmons technique had the Hawks foul the former ROTY regularly, sending him to the free throw line, with his efficiency being 34.2%.
It was a turmoil time for Ben-10, whose hesitance to shoot the ball was vividly visible. The 26-year-old ended up passing on open opportunities to dunk at crucial moments. While the 2021 playoffs ghost continues to haunt Simmons, Embiid managed to slide under the carpet.
A Redditor exposes Joel Embiid’s stat that went missing from the radar.
Things only turned ugly with Embiid and coach Doc Rivers publicly expressing doubts over Simmons’ capacities as PG. What followed was months of turbulence, with Ben-10 pulling off everything in the book to force himself out of Philly.
Though there is no justifying Simmons’ lackluster performance, Embiid did have his share of slipups too. However, the Cameroon big man managed to escape the heat. In an interesting point made by a Redditor, JoJo had a combined 16 turnovers in Game Six and Seven of the 2021 conference semi-finals, including one that sealed the deal for the Hawks.
While Embiid managed to put up impressive numbers, he averaged 4.7 TPG against Young and co. There is no reason to give Simmons the pass. Nevertheless, this does bring about an interesting observation of the situation.
