Hodges’ Unsung Heroes – Henry Sims

The former Georgetown Hoya has flourished since being acquired at the trade deadline.

The Philadelphia 76ers are in tanking mode.

After losing their 25th consecutive game Monday against the San Antonio Spurs, the Sixers are just one loss away from tying the 2010 Cleveland Cavaliers for the longest losing streak in NBA history. At 15-56, this year’s squad is the worst in franchise history and one of the worst the NBA has ever seen. Moreover, the Sixers’ struggles this season have sparked debate as to whether or not tanking should be allowed in the NBA.

For those of you who don’t know, tanking is when a team does everything possible to put itself in a position to lose basketball games in order to receive a high draft pick or other future assets. With many draft analysts calling this year’s class the deepest since 2003, when LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh entered the league, teams are self-destructing in hopes of acquiring players such as Duke phenom Jabari Parker, Kansas standouts Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid, and Kentucky stud Julius Randle.  The Sixers, however, began their tanking process much earlier than other teams.

In last year’s draft, the Sixers traded all-star PG Jrue Holiday to the New Orleans Pelicans  for C Nerlens Noel, PG Pierre Jackson, and a 2014 first-round pick. At this year’s trade deadline, the Sixers kept the ball rolling by trading G Evan Turner and F/C Lavoy Allen to the Indiana Pacers and trading C Spencer Hawes to the Cleveland Cavaliers. In true tanking fashion, the Sixers essentially received nothing in the trade with Indiana because F Danny Granger, the player the Sixers acquired in the trade, was bought out of his contract just days after the trade was completed and is now playing for the Los Angeles Clippers. However, the Sixers received two 2014 second-round picks, F Earl Clark, and C Henry Sims from the Cavaliers in exchange for Hawes. Like Granger, Clark was bought out by Philadelphia and is now playing for the New York Knicks, but Sims, this week’s Unsung Hero, has played extremely well since his arrival.

Sims, a native of Baltimore, Md., spent four years playing for John Thompson III at the University of Georgetown. However, he did not receive much playing time until his senior season, where he averaged 11.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 3.5 APG. Despite receiving minimal playing time in college and going undrafted in 2012, Sims played for the Utah Jazz during the Orlando Summer League and the Chicago Bulls during the Las Vegas Summer League. In September 2012, Sims was signed by the New York Knicks, but was subsequently released less than a month later and was acquired by the Erie Bayhawks of the NBA Developmental League. In 2013, Sims participated in the D-League All-Star Game and he signed a 10-day contract with the New Orleans Hornets (now the Pelicans). Unfortunately, he was released by the Hornets, bought out by the Bayhawks, and was forced to play overseas with the Petron Blaze Boosters in the Philippines. Later in 2013, Sims spent some time with the Charlotte Bobcats before ultimately signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In Cleveland, he spent time with both the Cavaliers and the Canton Charge, Cleveland’s D-League affiliate.

Finally, Sims was dealt to the Sixers in the Spencer Hawes trade and has blossomed ever since. Last week, he posted a career-high 18 points and 15 rebounds against the Chicago Bulls, one of the more formidable frontcourt teams in the NBA. Sims also posted 10 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists in the team’s Monday night loss to San Antonio. But what most likely appeals to Sixers head coach Brett Brown the most is his defensive abilities and his desire to play defense. Sims averaged 1.4 blocks a game in his senior season at Georgetown and can defend the pick-and-roll very well. The Sixers are dead last in the league in total defense (110.0 points a game) and they severely lack a defensive presence outside of Thaddeus Young.

Although Sims possesses a defensive mindset and solid rebounding skills, he still needs to polish his offensive game. As the highlight video below demonstrates, Sims sometimes struggles with his handles and his footwork, leading to wild shots and missed opportunities at the rim. However, he also has the ability to penetrate through defenders and create second-chance opportunities for his team by collecting offensive rebounds. The reason I chose the word “polish” when I started this paragraph is because that’s exactly what the 23-year-old big man needs; he has already established his game, now he just needs to continue cleaning it up.

Nerlens Noel will likely be the Sixers’ big man moving forward, but Sims will provide a formidable second option off the bench as he continues to play hard and improve his game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwNF-P7sysI