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Deciding between Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid is like choosing between chocolate and strawberry ice cream. There's no wrong choice. The Sixers are committed to both players and they plan to build the entire makeup of the roster around the unique skill sets — not to mention, personalities — of Simmons and Embiid.
But who is the franchise cornerstone for the Philadelphia 76ers? A strong case can be made for Simmons, but Joel Embiid is the main piece of the puzzle in Philly. He's a dynamic big man that impacts the game on both ends of the floor and his overall impact on the game is more vital to the Sixers.
The Case For Simmons
Simmons is a budding superstar with a unique skill set. It's not often that teams have a 6-foot-10 point guard with Magic Johnson-like vision. He's the type of player that teams can build a franchise around because of his ability to run an offense and facilitate for his teammates. He's the true definition of a point forward and he becomes a matchup nightmare for opposing head coaches.
Additionally, Simmons is slightly younger than Embiid. It's splitting hairs, but Simmons recently turned 22 and Embiid is already 24. That's a small distinction and won't affect the Sixers decision making. But in a hypothetical situation where the Sixers were forced to choose between Simmons and Embiid, age would be noted.
After the 2016 draft, Simmons missed the entire 2016-17 season, but there are few lingering questions about his health. Simmons played in all but one game during his rookie season.
The Case Against Simmons
Shoot a three, you coward. It's a phrase that's become popular — mainly among Celtics Twitter — and it's used to call out Simmons' unwillingness to shoot the ball. It's not his aversion to shooting in general, but his hesitancy to shoot a three-pointer that becomes concerning.
He was 0-for-11 from deep for the season in 2017-18 so it's clear that he's not shooting because he's not confident in his ability to make the shots. But that should be more concerning than simply passing up open looks on the perimeter. Obviously, Simmons is a unique talent and he can still be effective without a consistent jumper, but there's also a chance that teams figure out ways to minimize his impact.
It's unwise to put too much stock in one playoff game, but Simmons' one-point performance in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals is emblematic of how teams can slow down Simmons. They rotated multiple guys onto Simmons and kept him guessing all game. Marcus Morris was especially impactful when covering Simmons because he dared him to shoot the jumper and used his physicality to stymie him in the post. Brad Stevens and the Celtics completely took Simmons out of a rhythm and that was the difference in the game.
The Case For Embiid
Joel Embiid has so much going for him right now. It's hard to figure out where to start. For one, he's a supreme offensive talent — regardless of position. His post game continues to improve at a rapid rate. He can use his size and strength to bully opposing defenders when he has the physical advantage. But when he's defended by a bigger, stronger player he has the finesse to shake the defender for an open look.
Embiid's jumper is also miles ahead of Simmons' jumper. No one will confuse Embiid for J.J. Reddick, but he shoots it well enough to keep defenses honest. Embiid only shot 31 percent from deep last season — two points lower than his career mark — but that hint of a jumper is a threat in itself. He's capable of knocking down shots so defenders can't completely sag off Embiid to help. This is the starkest difference between Simmons and Embiid.
Embiid's offensive game is enough to solidify his place as a star, but his defensive prowess is what truly vaults him into the category of a superstar and a true franchise cornerstone. He is an elite rim protector and his 1.8 blocks per game last season don't even tell the full story of his impact on that end.
He's improving his ability to defend on the perimeter. The league is becoming switch-happy and bigs are often switched onto smaller, quicker guards on the perimeter. Embiid certainly isn't Gary Payton on the outside, but his ability to get back into the play after getting beat, combined with his length and athleticism keep him competitive on the perimeter.
Additionally, Embiid finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2018. Rudy Gobert won the award handily, but Embiid's reputation as an elite defender is already well-documented.
The cherry on top of Embiid's game is how well he can rebound. At 7-foot-0, 250 pounds, Embiid is an imposing physical presence. He puts his solid frame to good use. He finished the 2017-18 season averaging 11 rebounds per game despite only playing in about 30 minutes per contest. He's also in the 89th percentile among bigs in defensive rebounding percentage via Cleaning the Glass. Even if he didn't rebound the ball at an impressive rate, he would still be the franchise cornerstone.
The Case Against Embiid
The case against Embiid is obvious. His health and longevity are the biggest causes for concern in the young big man's career. Despite being drafted in 2014, Embiid has only played in 102 career games (regular season and playoffs). During that time period, he hasn't been the typical workhorse that franchise cornerstones usually are. In regular season games, Embiid averages fewer than 29 minutes per game.
Of course, the Sixers have been overly cautious with their crowned jewel, but his health issues are a fair reason to question whether or not he can be the franchise cornerstone. Most believe that he'll go on to have a healthy and successful career, but the concerns are valid.
In Closing
Simmons or Embiid? You really can't go wrong with either. They are both transcendent talents that any franchise would be lucky to have. That being said, if Philadelphia was forced to choose, they would rest their hopes on the big man that can dominate both ends of the floor.
Simmons is an excellent player but even at this stage in his young career, he appears to have a very severe limitation. He can't shoot the three. At the very least, Embiid offers the threat of a jumper if left open. Simmons doesn't scare defenses until he is probing and penetrating the defense.
Sixers fans shouldn't worry because Philly doesn't need to choose between Simmons or Embiid. They can have strawberry and chocolate ice cream together. But if they were ever forced to decide between the two, the choice would be obvious.
