By Sean Kennedy (@PhillyFastBreak)
Philadelphia 86, Utah 75 – Box Score
Call him a point guard, call him a point forward, whatever you do, just make sure to call Ben Simmons one of the best passers in the game.
It was only his second professional contest, but it’s already abundantly clear that the first overall pick has a court vision paralleled by only a handful of guys in the league. Combine that with his 6’10” build, which allows him to see over the defense and operate at angles that smaller guards could only imagine, and it’s easy to see why scouts throw out the Magic Johnson comparison out there. Even in a game where he didn’t play particularly well, Ben Simmons with the ball in his hands made for appointment viewing.
It really wasn’t that great a game for Simmons. Coming off his exit due to cramps earlier in the week, Simmons recorded just 6 points on 2-8 shooting from the field. Unlike the summer league opener when he was perfect from the foul line, Simmons was just 2-6 from the charity stripe Thursday night. Still, even on a night the shot wasn’t there, he still contributed with 7 rebounds and a team-high 6 assists against just 1 turnover. Once again, he could have had even more assists with guys missing open shots or getting fouled around the basket. Some of those plays were among his most breath-taking.
Simmons has handles, creates. #SixersTalk https://t.co/j7CfSZfWAB
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) July 8, 2016
While Simmons had the most vine-worthy moments Thursday night, the primary reason the Sixers grabbed their first victory in summer league action was probably Christian Wood. In only 15 minutes of playing time, Christian Wood again scored a team-high with 17 points on 6-11 shooting. He drained a three once again (1-3 from behind the arc), and added 6 rebounds and 3 blocks.
The most recent report from yesterday that Dario Saric may not be coming over this season after all. In only 16.7 minutes per game in #UtahJazzSL, Christian Wood averaged 18.7 points on 64.3% shooting (50.0% 3PT), 6 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks. If Saric does stay overseas another year, Wood is making a strong case for a roster spot.
Summer jams. #SummerSixers https://t.co/GXxhwHGCj0
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) July 8, 2016
Another young big man who looked good in Salt Lake City was Richaun Holmes, who tied Wood with 17 points on 6-9 shooting, went 5-6 from the line, and recorded 7 rebounds and 2 blocks.
Rich Homie havin' none of that. #SummerSixers https://t.co/aDU9foctMb
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) July 8, 2016
The defensive effort was all Richaun but he should give thanks to Ben Simmons for a lot of those offensive numbers. It seemed like every other play Simmons was feeding him for an easy bucket or to put him in a position to get fouled. Although I prefer the idea of trading Okafor, I can’t shake the notion of how terrific it would be watching those two together work offensively. Okafor is a much better player offensively than Holmes with terrific hands. Even if it would be a disaster defensive, a Simmons-Okafor pairing could put up some serious points.
One smooth dime. #SummerSixers https://t.co/WnHeVpBIGG
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) July 8, 2016
As for the other first-round pick this summer, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot had a worse outing than the opener, shooting 0-5 from behind the arc. The outside shooting is obviously the swing skill for him which the Sixers will be hoping to develop into a more consistent weapon. Still, he flashed his potential on a couple athletic finishes.
TLC with the dunk on the break. #SixersTalk https://t.co/5z9US3SBgO
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) July 8, 2016
The Summer Sixers now head to Las Vegas, where they will first square up against the Lakers Saturday night. We’ll see first overall pick Ben Simmons against second overall pick Brandon Ingram; that sounds like appointment viewing to me.
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