Former Philadelphia Sixers player Ben Simmons will not be playing with his current team The Brooklyn Nets, in the match against their former club in the initial stage of the NBA Playoffs. However, according Mike Sielski of The Philadelphia Inquirer The Philadelphia Inquirer, Simmons’ absence from the game could be a negative for the Sixers.
“The Nets might be better off without a guy like that…from a pure basketball standpoint,” Sielski stated. “Sure that when they started the season with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving as well as Simmons and the belief that they could take the Nets on a strong playoff run. However, the hope waned quickly and the Nets were able to trade Durant with their rivals the Phoenix Suns and Irving to the Dallas Mavericks, and now they’ve got an even-handed approach to offense, particularly now that Simmons isn’t there to mess up the work.”
Sielski The reporter asked Sixers the head Coach Doc Rivers about how Simmons’ absence would affect the series. Rivers did not mince words.
“I’m not touching that,” Rivers declared. “No thanks. I’ll pass. He’s not in the playoffs, therefore it’s not a good idea to talk about him.”
Rivers was the coach of Simmons for one season, before Simmons submitted his trade request in the summer of 2021.
James Harden’s Production Called Into Question
Michael Pina of The Ringer reviewed every first-round game in the 2023 NBA Playoffs – though two of them are yet to be officially announced. As he was preparing for the Sixers game in the series against Nets, Pina questioned whether James Harden will be able to play after his mysterious performance towards the end this season.
“Harden missed six of Philadelphia’s final 11 games,” Pina told the media. “In the ones he suited up for, Harden was up and down (by the extremely high standards he’s previously set) while reportedly dealing with a sore Achilles that, per Rivers, is now all better.”
Pina was then able to explain what he thinks could happen when Harden plays with injuries.
“How fit is Harden? If he’s not then are the Sixers in danger? The Nets have a fast-paced defense which is full of physically strong, long-running defensemen who will do everything they can to stop the Hardenand Joel Embiid pick-and-roll with a variety of ways, such as changing between helping, blitzing, and playing a wide-ranging strategy. Brooklyn is also equipped with the resources to keep the ball in front of them and annoy Harden by putting him in a position of isolation. Mikal Bridges Dorian Finney-Smith Cam Johnson, and Nic Claxton are all equipped to survive in a secluded area, particularly during the times in which Embiid is sitting on his bench.”
Spencer Dinwiddie Believes Nets Match Up Well With Sixers
On FanDuel TV, Spencer Dinwiddie claimed that the Nets could outdo the Sixers when they slow down Embiid.
“Embiid is the likely MVP, so obviously, we’re going to have to give it everything we got in terms of stopping him,” Dinwiddie stated on Fanduel TV. “But to be honest, out of the major seeds, we probably match up with them the best if we can limit him and not foul him.”
Dinwiddie believes that there is a problem the Sixers possess that the Nets are able to use to their advantage.
“We are feeling we can defend ourselves, but there are ways that we can take on the opposition as well. Mikal (Bridges) is playing at a high-level. We know that they can’t recover from the transition phase. We’re looking to play quickly We’re young. We are aware that there is no expectation. We’re happy to take our chances, to be sincere.”
