The Philadelphia 76ers are playing the Los Angeles Lakers in ESPN's Sunday Showcase on Feb. 10, just before the All-Star break. With time winding down in the third quarter, the Sixers have the ball and Ben Simmons crosses the timeline … with absolutely nobody within 20 feet of him.

Rather than choosing to guard Simmons on the perimeter, LeBron James camps in the lane, daring Simmons to step into a jumper:

As a 6-foot-10 point guard with great athleticism and exceptional court vision, Simmons is one of the most uniquely talented offensive players in decades. But, as exemplified by LeBron in the clip above, Simmons has a glaring weakness: the jump shot.

Simmons' lack of a jumper is nothing new. He relied on his size as a college freshman at LSU, and that same frame has allowed him to nearly average a triple-double of 17.0 points, 8.9 rebounds and 7.9 assists this season.

But while his handle and strength often allow him to penetrate and get to the rim, it is evident that he is hesitant to extend to mid-range and long jumpers. According to Basketball-Reference.com, Simmons is shooting nearly 72 percent on all of his attempts at the rim, but just 15-of-75 on shot attempts longer than 10 feet.

While it is true that the mid-range game is dying in the modern NBA, that is mostly due to the 3-point revolution that has, in part, been spurred on by the Golden State Warriors' dynasty of this decade. Simmons possesses neither a mid-range game nor the ability to shoot from deep.

So, what if opponents decide to sacrifice guarding Simmons on the perimeter and instead simply pack the paint, employing his on-ball defender as a sort of freelancer that you might see in a box-and-one defensive zone?

How can head coach Brett Brown and the Sixers adapt?

1. Take Simmons off the ball

Before you freak out, consider what this change would mean for the Sixers. The goal with taking Simmons off the ball would be to run sets that would get him post position, where he is likely to have a mismatch on a nightly basis.

Yes, Simmons is excellent in pick-and-roll, but he also dominates with his scoring ability around the rim. What better way to establish proximity to the bucket for Simmons than by running offensive sets that get him into the post?

If he draws double-teams, he has the court awareness and vision to be a playmaker for his teammates. Not to mention, the Sixers only added even more perimeter shooting by adding Tobias Harris. They can choose to take the kind of inside-out game employed by the Lakers of the early 2000s to a new level.

If Simmons is taken off the ball, that means Jimmy Butler takes over the role of primary ball handler. Not only could this make Butler feel like a bigger part of the offense, but the Sixers lose almost nothing aside from a bit of floor spacing by putting him on the ball.

Butler is equally adept in pick-and-roll situations, and his ability as a shot creator gives the Sixers the perfect “bail out” kind of player at the end of the shot clock.

In fact, the Sixers have already experimented with exactly this kind of strategy, and they could stand to get Butler a bit more involved. 

Brown's commitment to this change could be exactly what Philadelphia needs to take Simmons' weaknesses out of play.

2. Seven seconds or less

Should an experiment of removing Simmons as the primary ball handler crumble, there is another option for the Sixers: just play faster.

If defenses are allowed to get set as Philly tries to get into sets, they can key on the shooters and Joel Embiid while daring Simmons to take jumpers.

But if the Sixers were to play at a more rapid pace and bring the ball up the floor in a hurry even after made baskets, it will be harder for opponents to match up in time with Simmons barreling into the frontcourt.

Again, Simmons' absurd motor and athleticism would make this possible. The one question mark would be Embiid's proficiency in this kind of system, because it is unlikely that he could sustain such a high level of play at this pace given his injury history.

Still, it could be worth trying for Brown and the Sixers.