As many have expected, the Ben Simmons saga has left a cloud of the Philadelphia 76ers training camp. Most of the questions were answered during the Sixers media day, but recent reports have caused the conversation to continue throughout the week. Some of the latest news to come about was a report stating that Simmons no longer wants to play alongside Joel Embiid because it is not best for his game.
The All-Star center shot down this notion during his media availability Thursday along with addressing other grievances he has with Simmons.
In the end, Joel Embiid admitted he feels the Sixers are a better team when Simmons is on the floor. That said, one has to wonder what Simmons' holdout might mean for the MVP runner-up.
While the duo has seen great success in their time together, there is no denying the fit is clunky at best. The supporting cast around them has made life easier, but Simmons and Embiid are far from a perfect fit in a basketball sense.
Defensively, they are arguably the best duo in the league. But on the offensive end, there are multiple issues. Joel Embiid is one of the most dominant players in the league right now and is at his best when punishing the defense around the rim. Simmons, on the other hand, needs driving lanes to the rim because of his reluctance to shoot from deep.
With Simmons off the floor, it allows Embiid to have the full court at his disposal. He can spend more time in the post and mid-range because he will not have to open the floor for Simmons and his offensive deficiencies.
Not only can Joel Embiid play his more natural game, but he can also have a proper lineup built around him. Removing Simmons from the lineup allows Doc Rivers to put a ballhandler on the floor, who will also let it fly from beyond the arc. We saw last season how effective an Embiid plus four shooters lineup can be. Now that Simmons is out of the equation, it's a look Rivers can go to much more often.
There is also the other side of the floor to look at. Simmons has cemented himself among the best and most versatile defenders in the league, but Joel Embiid also plays at a high level when it comes to anchoring the defense.
Over the years, Embiid has listed winning Defensive Player of The Year as a personal goal of his. Having Simmons on the floor with him has hurt that campaign, but that can change moving forward. If Joel Embiid can keep the Sixers near the top of the league in defense with his rim protection, it will get him closer to being in the DPOY conversation.
It's crazy to think that a player who averaged nearly 30 points and 11 rebounds per game can get better, but Embiid can benefit from Simmons' holdout. After what he was able to do last season, it's scary to think what Joel Embiid could do with an offense fully centered around him.
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