Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin shut down the noise surrounding his two superstar players, noting the rumors of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons not getting along are “bulls**t.”
Rubin didn't mince words during his time at the Sloan Sports Conference, quickly getting the message across:
“Any noise about their relationship not being good is bullshit,” he said, according to Howard Beck of Bleacher Report.
Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid have gone out of their way to denounce this alleged rift, praising each other's game and trying to appear fine as teammates, but the visual evidence of their lack of chemistry on the court, despite spending three years together — is concerning at best.
Embiid's post-up style of play only clogs the lane for Simmons, a reluctant outside shooter who prefers to carve his way to the basket. Similarly, Simmons' unwillingness to let it fly from distance only hampers Embiid's passing game out of the post, making the pick-and-roll game rather nonexistent for a point guard who is unwilling to take the shots to make the defense pay.
Whether it's looked at on paper or on the court, there is a certain misfit of these two players. They might like each other enough to be viable teammates, but that matters little if their games don't agree on the court, as that alone can generate some animosity.
Rubin might overview the whole team as the owner, but he is too far removed from day-to-day operations to really know what's happening in his own backyard and inside that locker room. Players are unlikely to speak ill of their dynamic for the sake of locker room peace, but all that Rubin can do is deny away until the organization finds a solution for what's bound to be a massive problem if the Sixers fail to get past the second round.
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