Simmons Putting His Stamp on the Season

I think what Ben has done. Talk about the positive is the guy who understands what he's really good at making other people around him a better than That's NBA TV's Jared Greenberg and will examine simmons progress this season and his impact on this episode of the broadcast. How are you doing out there, seventy Sixers pod people? Busy stretched for the team right now? It is playing pretty well, continuing to rack up the winds in the top half

of the Eastern Conference. Still perfect at home and knocking off some quality opponents as of late. Got a win over the Toronto Raptors that was nice on Sunday, defeated the Denver Nuggets in a defensive physical tussle on Tuesday, and coming up Thursday night, the primetime pairing with the arch nemesis Boston Celtics. In the midst of all this, Ben Simmons has been terrific and we will talk about that storyline with Jared Greenberg of NBA TV and just

a matter of moments. But first a reminder that to subscribe to our podcast, you can go to any one of your favorite podcasting platforms Spotify, Pandora, Apple Pods, Google Pods, Stitcher, tune in, SoundCloud, wherever you go. Just type in seventy six Ers podcast. We're seventy six Ers Podcast Network and

that will take you to our feed. Ben Simmons came into this week fresh off two fantastic games, a career high thirty four points plus seven assists in these seventy six ers historic blowout win over the Cleveland Cavaliers Loba Simmons Hetty Jamnet, Ben Simmons is going to town on the Cleveland Cavaliers, reminding the Cavaliers of Larron James. Then the very next night against the Toronto Raptors, a near triple double for Simmons as he finished with sixteen points,

eleven boards, and nine dollars. Here's Ben in the Lane takes it all went down that Slabs it he wind Mills and n gassoul Are you kidding me? Ben? Sevens wheels that slams it? What a playue? Wow? What a slam by Simmons. Yes, Ben Simmons has indeed been in some kind of groove lately. He even earned some votes for Eastern Conference Player of the Weekends. I was lucking them every time I was in the floor. Wh goss,

how many meds I've laid. A month and a half into the NBA season, Simmons leads the league in total steals and steals per game. He's fifth and assists twelfth, and field goal percentage, and to the great website Basketball Reference dot com, the Aussie is fifth in defensive wind shares. Might try to play the game on how to play without over thinking, I'll listening to anybody else, so good time.

I'm getting better, Ben Simmons. In addition to all of that, is also the topic I wanted to get into with this week's guest on the Pod, Jared Greenberg. He's the host of NBA TV's crunch Time, which airs every Wednesday and Friday from sevent eastern to the night's final buzzer. Crunch Time is the league's Whip Around show, capturing all the excitement around the NBA from down to the wire finishes to game winners and defining moments throughout the night.

And of course, the seventy Sixers will be back on the NBA on TNT this Thursday as a part of TNTs doubleheader when the Sixers visit the Boston Celtics eight o'clock Eastern. Then later on that night stick Around a Great Western Conference game between the Portland Trailblazers and Denver Nuggets. So, Jared Greenberg, it is great to have you on once again.

What do you make of this recent tear by Ben simm You know, I think what what what Ben has done really well is identify what he's really good at. Simmons saw the run jam and that's where Simmons is at his very best. Well, he can get in the open floor, he gets the rebound and immediately gets him in transitiones talk about the positives. It's it's a guy who understands what he's really good at and you know,

making other people around him better. I think that, you know, we we often just cast a you know, a blanket over great players and just say that they're good at making others better, Michael Jordan or Lebron James, m whoever you want. And I don't know that that's always the case with really good players in the league, but clearly what what Ben Simmons does is find ways to get other teammates involved or make sure he's getting guys in the right spots. And I think that, you know, that's

that's what's really impressive about him. And then you know defensively too, you know obviously how he's up for the challenge, and he's he's not too proud of a young player to understand that, all right, I may not be averaging thirty points or I may not be leading my team and shot attempts, but I'm going to make sure that

I take on that challenge on a nightly basis. And I think he does it too at guarding a variety of different positions on the court, which I think is is a hugely important attribute for players in this league. One of the things that I really enjoy about talking to national media members is that you get a broader perspective on how people view storyline surrounding a team, rather than some of the hyper focused scrutiny that takes place

in a local market. So if we step back out and we look at things for thirty thousand feet, what level of intrigue was there on a national level surrounding Ben Simmons entering this year in regard to what the seventy six Ers chances made huge, absolutely huge. Um, I won't forget over the summer on NBA TV, we do the schedule reveal and we brought Charles Markley and he predicted that that show that he had the Sixers coming out of East. Can I get it? I guarantee it.

I guarantee you that Villa de sem Sixers are gonna win the Eastern Conference. But he said it with a caveat. He said that the Sixers are probably the only really good team among the there's a lot of them now this year, obviously, but among the teams that you think have a even a chance of winning a title this year, the Sixers are the only team where you're wondering if their best players are good enough to get them over

the hump this year. Right, Simmons and Embiid had to take a massive step forward for the Sixers to to elevate themselves out of a team where in the last few years they've you know, quote unquote only gotten to the second round of the playoffs. So I think that what Simmons the level of intrigue was huge, you know, his um everything from his leadership skills to his obviously shooting uh talking jumpers, three pointers, free throws, to his

ability to help close out games. I think we're or a huge question mark around the league before we dive into what Simmons has done this season. What did you think he wrapped up last season after that seven games second round playoff series with Toronto. I mean, he was an All Star at twenty two, which all things considered his no small feed. No, you're right, and obviously he had a strong case his rookie year to be an All Star, and I know he was disappointed that he

didn't make it that year. Um, you know, I thought that there was steady improvement in certain areas. I think certainly defensively we saw it. I think obviously in the scoring we saw it. His efficiency numbers last year were off the charts. I think the question at the end of the year is the same at the question and now it's it's it's from you know, the shooting standpoint.

You know, jumpers, threes, and free throws. Brett Brown recently came out and said, following a series of games over the weekend, that he had a quota of one three pointer a game for Ben Simmons. This is what I want. Okay, you can pass this along to his agent and his family and his friends into him. I want a three point shot a game minimum. Did you see that? What did you make of that comment? I loved it. And I think that Brett, this is a tough one to

really juggle in Bret Brett. As you know, Brian just had a lot of these tough situations during his ten year as six Ers head coach, and he does a great job of of of doing saying the right pr thing, but also at certain times sending a message to your locker room that you want to be heard. And I think I think that the number one is a good one for Ben because I'm of this opinion here that he doesn't need to become Clay Thompson or Steph Curry. As we've seen from the threes that he's he's taken,

the couple he's taken this year that he's made. The teams are giving him so much space, So why not one time a game take advantage of that. So maybe later in that game or maybe in future games, teams start to think about defending you out there. So I thought the number one is is good. I mean, it's just it's just starting for him. He's jumping off for Simmons extra dread the second three of the season, Ben Simmons feeling goods And I don't want to play team

psychologist on this end. They certainly chill out enough of their resources is for someone professional to do that, But it's almost seemingly as if Ben knocked down a couple of threes. The two that he's hit so far have been set up for him. They've looked really pure when they've gone through the net, and you almost wonder if Brett's taken this opportunity to be like, all right, you know what, He's tried it a couple times in a game.

He's made them. Why don't we jump on this momentum and see if we can bolster that confidence and see if we can have it be a more regular thing. Yeah, I'm with you, like you know, and I just think it adds such a dynamic for this team, and you know, it's it's not it's gonna be highlighted this year because of the lack of three point shooting, and I know of late they've certainly been a much better three point

shooting team, But let let's be honest here. I think they're going to come back down to earth with some of these numbers that they've hit love late, But because they don't have that JJ reddick anymore, it's gonna be highlighted. But even if they did have a JJ Reddick, I do think it's understand what it does for the rest of the team if you're a guy who teams feel like they don't even need to have anybody within ten

feet of you if you're out on the perimeter. Another big storyline surrounding Simmons won that seventy six Ers leadership between Elton Brand and Brett Brown have pointed two and you've already touched upon a little bit. Jared is his defense. Now we all know Kawhi Leonard had a postseason for the Ages last year, Ben Simmons was asked to a Lion share the defense on him in the second round series. The Sixers felt like he would be able to pull

something from that. Now that the series is Phoenished. I want to just ask about Bennon what you saw from him this series he went up against Kawa. Can you just speak about the growth of him over these past saving games to have the responsibility to go have to defend Kawhi Leonard, especially in the mood and the mindset that Kawai was in. I think Ben's defensive effort and commitment to trying to guard Kawhi Leonard will serve him well. It too will be a memory. I'm certain that will

will help better shape his approach. Do you feel like we've seen that translate just the experience of going up against guys like Kawhi Leonard in the second round, it was Dangelo Russell against the Brooklyns in the first round. Have you seen that translate in terms of how Ben Simmons has gotten off to a start defensively this year. Yeah, I think there's an aggressive this. You know, Um, there's the the deflections and you know we're covering loose balls

and and and just knowing where to be. I think even even the harshest of critics of Ben Simmons would admit to the fact that his basketball IQ is is off the charts, um and I think you see that. You see it on offense, we don't necessarily always credit him with that. On the defensive ende, Sivinth seals the ball, Sivins driving it is a let he goes to Harris, Harris puts up Ben jams At quit ten seconds ago, sixers take the day. He's a ball boy. He's all

over the place where he needs to be. And like, you know, you just gave the perfect example there. Um. Listen, nobody was slowing down Kawhi last year in the playoffs. But to take on that talent and also in the first round, to take got a talent but cancel Lessel, they couldn't be two more different players. And to be willing to do that, m you know, it's a big thing.

And you know, I don't know if he's going to be First team All Defense this year, Ben Simmons, but but I think he's a guy that's that's going to be over the course of his career considered. Uh, you know for that at some point. That's the perfect segue.

I was going to ask you about this. You know, I don't want to cast Brett Brown as an inflammatory take man, but he does have stances and he threw out there earlier this season that he feels like Ben Simmons has asserted himself early on as an All Defensive team candidate, perhaps even in the conversation for Defensive Player

of the Year. Now he's like walked in and like that's a different species right there, and you know, to try to get that as much as we can as the Holy grill, you know, I think he's got to be considered for an All Defense it's a team and who knows, tell me somebody that's doing better as a Defensive Player of the Year. You know, it's not far reaching. You understand the way the league works on a national level.

What does it take for a player to gain that type of consideration being the running for those recognitions, Well, it's it's it's it's a little different based on each position, right and it's it's a bit unfair, but it's kind of the mindset of the voter, and that is, if you're not going to be a big man and you're going to be in consideration, then what you need to have the reputation of being it's a guy who, on a nightly basis, no matter who your team is playing,

is always guarding for the bulk of the game, the team's best their opponent's best perimeter offensive player, night and night out. And that's kind of what we're talking about. Whether it's the point guard, whether it's the two guard, whether it's a wing like a Kawhi Leonard. You know, there's a reason why a guy like Paul George last year was in the mix and it still went to

a big guy and Rudy Gobert. But if you are guys who on a night league basis, we're watching highlights, because if you're not, you know, if you're not like guys who's you know in the league pass every night with hoops Jockey, and I'm sure there's probably a few voters out there who are just catching highlights. If you're not seeing that guy that you're considering for Defensive Player of the Year guarding the stars of this league every night, then it's gonna be hard to keep him in the mix.

So I think that that part of the reputation for Ben Simmons to even give him a shot. And right now, I'll be honest, I think he's probably very much on the outside looking uni for that Defensive Player of the Year conversation at this point in this season. But he's got to be every single night. We've got to see him on the opponent's best player. That's a little different

for perimeter players or to take non bigs. You know, if you're a big like a Rudy Gobert or an Anthony Davis or in the past, the guy like a

Marcus Aul. You know, we're looking at your your block shots, what type of you know, rim defender you are, how many rebounds you're getting, what a team's field goal percentage is um and and and the other part of it is is always which is you know, always an interesting one for me is even though it's an individual award, we're always going to look at where your team is

in defensive rating. That that that's always you know, it's gonna be hard for a guy to win Defensive Player of the Year of his team is let's say, outside the top five and defensive rating. When you look at the seventy sixers on a broader level beyond Ben Simmons, what are some of the other subplots, Jared that interests you At this point of the year. You can't you can't talk about this team without talking about indeed, you know that's that that that's that's probably the biggest thing.

And then and then you know the supporting cast is going to be the next day five to shoot Tobias Drives put it up left hand laugh as good welcome factor to your to your top bias Harris. You know, I think there's something to be said for guys who get paid and who are true professionals, Like I've heard reports from people around the league that there are a few guys who actually or carter in the summer than

Tobias House. Um. You know, it seems like over the course of the year, it's like he's got himself in such great shape. And I felt with the way this team was constructed this year and what they needed out of him, he could have a monster year. And I think, you know, once about the middle of November hit he

kind of he found it a little bit. And I just think it's a matter of consistency and they make clutch shots and they be a team that can withstand ms him as not being a perimeter or a jump shuter because they have enough guys who do it other than that. And then probably the third is just the you know, the rise of tible. Here's a steel by a taste in Siakaba slab a taste bible rocks around what a play. The rookie is doing it at both

ends of the floor. To me, that's telling that even and this is not to suggest that national media members aren't following game in, game out, but that he has made such an impression to the point where he's on the radar of some people on a national level. But yeah, I mean he's exciting, you know, on this on this show that I host on Wednesdays and Fridays on crunch time, when we're doing our live lookings on all these games. Um,

it's it's amazing the timing. I've lost track amount of times that we've dipped into a sixer game totally by coincidence, and there's tibe will just make it a huge defensive play, and then just how hard he plays. You know, he's he makes a defensive play and then he's never done right. He's always running the floor and he's hit some clutch shots. Obviously he's had games where he's had awful shooting nights,

but he's he's a rookie. And then you know, you you obviously live with that and understand, but Tyble always has a smile on his face, He's always laughing, he's always having fun um so he's he's fun to watch. I think first and fore months, no doubt, but he's table fun to watch. The seventy Sixers have been fun to watch the first almost two months of the season. Fun to watch Jared Greenberg on NBA TV. Great to get his insights as well. Jared, thanks so much and

her minded. You catch Jared on NBA TV's crunch Time each Wednesday and Friday from sevent eastern then it's final Horn. It's a whip around show. Crunch Time takes you through the excitement throughout the entire league, down to the wire, finishes game winners, defining moments all throughout the night. It is terrific. And the seventy six Ers one more time playing on the NBA on TNT Thursday when they take on the Boston Celtics at eight o'clock Easter. Before we

wrap things up, one quick reminders. Seventy six Ers Camps prevented by Rothman Orthopedics is back for a seventy six Ers holiday hoops camps. You get to learn drills the pros us with three days of skills and drills. They're going to be held December twenty six, twenty seventh, and thirtieth. Registration is now open for boys and girls ages five through fourteen, with several locations across the entire Delaware Valley.

Sign up today at seventy six ers camps dot com or call six one zero six six eight, seven six and seven six. Once again, thanks to Jared Greenberg from NBA TV for taking the time to talk on this episode of the podcast. Thank you for listening, and we'll talk to you next time right here on the proadcast S