Simmons flashes elite form in summer debut
SALT LAKE CITY - The 76ers drafted Ben Simmons first overall on June 23 with the hope that he would blossom into an NBA superstar.
SALT LAKE CITY - The 76ers drafted Ben Simmons first overall on June 23 with the hope that he would blossom into an NBA superstar.
He showed flashes of that potential before having to be helped off the court late in their 102-94 loss to the Boston Celtics on Monday in the Utah Jazz Summer League opener
Simmons grabbed his right calf while falling to the court after having his shot blocked with 4 minutes, 50 seconds left in the game. He remained on the court underneath the basket until Sixers trainer Kevin Johnson was able to observe him during a break in the action with 4:19 left. Simmons, who had cramps in both calves, was helped off the court and into the locker room. He did not return.
"I'm good," said the 6-foot-10, 243-pound point forward, who finished with 10 points, eight rebounds, and five assists in the matchup at Vivint Smart Home Arena. He will not play Tuesday against the San Antonio Spurs. Sixers assistant Billy Lange, who is coaching the summer-league team, said that was a predetermined off day for Simmons.
The 19-year-old first experienced the cramping in the third quarter. He went to the bench to drink fluids. Once he returned, Simmons kept trying to stretch out his calves. But the cramps kicked in once he exploded to the rim on the play that ended with his shot being blocked.
After the game he was asked what's the biggest thing he learned Monday night.
"You got to drink fluids," Simmons said with smile. "You got to keep your fluids in. That's the worst I ever cramped. So I'm definitely going to stay on that."
Before leaving the game, his athleticism, passing ability, and high basketball IQ were all on display. One of the few things Simmons didn't do well was shoot. He shot 2 for 9 from the field. But his passing ability made up for his shooting woes.
"The ball moves faster than the player," Simmons said. "So I saw an opportunity to dish it. I did that and obviously Tim ran to the rim and got an easy layup."
He drew more loud applause from the crowd in the third quarter.
Simmons drove the lane and delivered a no-look, over-the-back pass to Richaun Holmes. Holmes (13 points, five blocks) was fouled on the play.
"He loves to pass," Lange said. "So when you are a guy that looks to get rid of the ball and you enjoy getting players shots, you fit in really easy."
Simmons also joined T.J. McConnell as the vocal leader of the team.
He kept communicating, instructing teammates where they should be on the floor. Simmons also encouraged them after mistakes.
"If I see things going on that are wrong, I try to help," Simmons said. "I like to help everybody on the court, but also build chemistry with everyone. If I'm doing something wrong, I would love for somebody to tell me, 'You are doing that wrong.' "
So far, the Sixers (0-1) will tell you that he's doing everything right.
They heard the rumors about his not being a good teammate. They read that he was arrogant and didn't want to work out for their team before the draft.
After meeting him, McConnell realized that could not be further from the truth.
"He's literally the nicest kid I ever met," McConnell said. "He's going to fit in here. He works hard. For being the No. 1 pick, he's the most humble kid I've seen."
Christian Wood had a game-high 20 points. Terry Rozier had 18 to pace the Celtics (1-0).
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