July 05, 2016

Ben Simmons shows off his court vision in debut

By Rich Hofmann
PhillyVoice Contributor

July is not a time for efficient, or even pretty basketball. Only a couple weeks after the NBA Finals end, summer league is at the opposite end of the spectrum. It provides a setting where fringe players can make an impression and youngsters can work out the kinks.

For top draft picks, I generally subscribe to the theory that all you need to do is look the part. And despite a poor shooting night, Ben Simmons was sharp during Game 1 of the Utah Jazz Summer League against the Boston Celtics.

In 23 minutes, Simmons had 10 points (2-9 FG, 6-6 FT), 8 rebounds, and 5 assists to 1 turnover. He finished a team-high +9, looked to be an enthusiastic teammate, and defended relatively well. Most notably, Simmons’ passing was breathtaking at times:

Mission accomplished for Simmons, who looked the part. Here are some other observations from the Sixers’ 102-94 loss:

• Simmons is going to be really good in transition: On the Sixers’ first possession of the game, the No. 1-overall pick grabbed the rebound, hit Jaylen Brown with a couple of sharp in-and-out dribbles, and got fouled:

At least initially, Simmons will be at his best in the open court. His elite court vision is apparent in the halfcourt (out of the post or pick-and-roll), but he’s most dangerous grabbing a rebound off the rim and doing the whole freight train bit that his pal LeBron perfected:

• Simmons started cramping up in the third quarter, but he initially played through it. After coming back into the game, he eventually had to be helped off the floor once Brown blocked his shot on a drive. Simmons’ lesson from this game? Drink more fluids.

“It’s been about four months since I played, that’s the main reason,” Simmons told reporters after the game.

It doesn’t sound like a serious issue, but the Sixers are going to shut down Simmons for Tuesday’s game against the Spurs as a precaution. It was truthfully a bit odd to see him re-enter this game after cramping up.

•    Richaun Holmes’ game was his rookie season in a nutshell. The Bowling Green product was super physical and did a great job of contesting shots (particularly Brown’s), but he only managed one defensive rebound in 23 minutes of action. That has to improve at some point.

•    Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot showcased his athleticism and knocked down a couple of threes (13 points), but he had trouble keeping Celtics guards in front of him. A lot of Sixers struggled finding Boston’s shooters at the arc, as the C’s went 11-22 from deep.

•    Christian Wood is still pretty skinny, but you can tell that he bulked up at PCOM over the summer. A lot of times when watching him play, it felt a little bit like the game was moving just a tad too fast for him. Not on Monday, as Wood poured in 20 points on 7-9 shooting.

•    The Celtics might have come out on top on the scoreboard, but T.J. McConnell’s haircut won the night: