Ben Simmons hasn't exactly had much success defending Kawhi Leonard in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Toronto Raptors superstar is averaging 37.7 points per game on 60.9 percent field goal shooting against the Philadelphia 76ers so far, getting pretty much wherever he wants with the ball in his hands and feasting from mid-range.
When offensive players the caliber of Leonard are playing near their peak, it's pretty much impossible to stop them. Simmons, thankfully, understands that reality, and continues to relish the task of guarding Leonard despite getting beaten time and again throughout the first three games of this series.
“He's gonna make tough shots, just like any great player,” Simmons said of defending Leonard, per Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times. “You just gotta make it tough on him, can't give him easy looks, and just be present in the moment. For me, I love taking that challenge on and having that role. I'm just trying to make it tough on him.”
Simmons and the Sixers, of course, will be content with Leonard lighting up the scoreboard as long as his teammates fail to provide him with adequate support offensively. He had 33 points on 13-of-22 shooting in Game 3, but Toronto was blown out regardless as its supporting cast combined to shoot a dismal 36.1 percent from the field.
Both Kyle Lowry and Danny Green have publicly acknowledged the need for the Raptors to give Leonard more help going forward. Even if that proves the case, though, don't bet on Toronto overcoming its current 2-1 deficit to advance to the Conference Finals. Why? With a defender as gifted and locked in as Simmons trailing him, there's certainly no guarantee Leonard will be able to keep up his torrid scoring pace.
