During his Game 4 press conference on Sunday, Philadelphia 76ers small forward Jimmy Butler said he wants Sixers point forward Ben Simmons to be more aggressive going to the basket.
Sixers head coach Brett Brown agrees with Butler, as he told reporters on Monday there were a few times in Game 4 where he thought Simmons could have gotten deeper into the paint and attacked the rim with more force:
#Sixers coach Brett Brown: ‘There were a few times (Ben Simmons) could’ve gone a step further (in the paint and draw contact).’
— Tom Moore (@TomMoorePhilly) May 6, 2019
When he's playing downhill, Simmons is nearly impossible to guard. The lefty can get to the rim at will, finish in heavy traffic with either hand and draw contact. The Sixers usually win every game when Simmons is playing that way.
When Simmons plays passive and doesn't attack the basket, though, he becomes a liability for the Sixers since he can't shoot jumpers yet. Simmons had 10 points in Game 4 while shooting 5-of-10 from the field. Philly lost by just five points.
Overall in the postseason, Simmons is averaging 14.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.3 assists while shooting 60.2 percent from the floor. Philly's floor general has struggled in the series against the Raptors, as Simmons is putting up just 10.0 points on 54.1 percent shooting. The Sixers need more production from their All-Star if they want to win this series and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
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