Philadelphia 76ers: Ben Simmons, not Markelle Fultz is key to playoffs
It doesn’t matter if you like the trade or not– it’s done and all we can do is wait. But what are we waiting for is the main question? The Philadelphia 76ers made a bold move towards their future over the weekend with a deal involving the Boston Celtics. The trade will bring them the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft in which they will use to select PG Markelle Fultz. Philly fans are excited, Fultz and his new Sixers teammates are excited but nothing has been accomplished yet. Fultz may be explosive but the future and the playoffs will ride on the shoulders of Ben Simmons.
The fanbase is excited about Fultz arrival and the possibility of a playoff berth this coming season but it will be Simmons who holds the key.
The 76ers are loaded. It may not seem that way due to their bottom of the league record but the team has not been whole in 3 seasons. With the start of the 2016-17 offseason underway, the 76ers have positioned themselves to be a force in the Eastern Conference for years to come. Simmons was the top pick last season but sat out due to injury. He had to watch as his teammates went from 10 wins to 28 in what can only be described as one of the best seasons for the 76ers in years.
As much as fans can’t wait to see Fultz in action– it’s the debut of Simmons that has the city on edge.
Will he be able to handle PG duties? Has he improved on his perimeter game and can he be a distributor? The 76ers will have a frontcourt of scorers in Joel Embiid, Dario Saric, and Robert Covington. It will be Simmons duty to have the ball in the right place for each player. That’s assuming Brett Brown sticks to his guns and have Simmons run the point.
What I would love to see is Simmons at SF and Covington come off the bench to lead the second unit. With the addition of Fultz, the 76ers now has a playmaker who can run an offense and should look to make a trade for a better scoring option at SG like Eric Bledsoe of the Phoenix Suns.
The trade for Fultz has the Philadelphia 76ers ready to make a run, however, it will be Simmons who will be the one leading the charge.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
