The Philadelphia 76ers have adopted the mantra of “Trust The Process,” a phrase that resonates with former general manager Sam Hinkie and his patience with Joel Embiid, a two-year absentee from the Sixers' roster and a player who ultimately took the mantle as the face of the franchise. Yet that view was challenged in only one season after 2016 NBA Draft top overall selection Ben Simmons put up a Rookie of the Year season that catapulted the team to the second round of the playoffs.
Though more than a couple of voices characterize the Sixers as “Jo's team,” there's a common belief inside the organization that Simmons is every bit the killer Embiid is. And Simmons, who keeps a close-knit circle with his brothers at its center, is starting to spend more time at the facility at the urging of those confidants, who felt it was time his daily habits reflect that competitiveness so evident in live games.
Embiid and Simmons are 1A and 1B when it comes to leading this Sixers' roster, a wild combination of talent, athleticism and exuberance that have made this team a must-watch heading into the 2018-19 season.
The two are perhaps the true face of “Fire and Ice,” a self-given nickname that adorned DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis during their short tenure in New Orleans.
Embiid is often the fiery, demonstrative and posterizing individual, while Simmons is the silent assassin who will inflict just as much damage without saying a single word.
Averages of 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.9 blocks per game spell only the beginning for the 22-year-old Sixers star, who brings this forged acumen into his second season and is only scraping the surface of his untapped talent.
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