Ben Simmons Flirts with Triple-Double as 76ers Blow out Trae Young, Hawks 113-92
The Philadelphia 76ers continued their dominance at home Monday with a 113-92 victory over the Atlanta Hawks at the Wells Fargo Center.
Philadelphia moved to 4-0 at home and 4-3 overall this season as Ben Simmons prevailed in the battle of young point guards. Simmons finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists, while Atlanta's Trae Young countered with 11 points and eight assists.
It wasn't just the ball-handlers who impressed Monday, as seven Sixers scored in double figures, including Joel Embiid (10 points, six rebounds and six assists).
Fultz's Inability to Stretch Floor Limits 76ers' Ceiling
While there was plenty of talent on the floor between Simmons, Young and Embiid, the most notable development in the first half was how Atlanta defended Philadelphia.
Kent Bazemore served as a de facto safety while guarding Markelle Fultz and roamed inside the paint for double teams whenever the 76ers guard was on the perimeter. Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce was previously a Philadelphia assistant and is surely familiar with the concerns regarding Fultz's outside shooting, and he exploited that weakness with these sets.
The Washington product played just 14 games as a rookie last season as worries about his shooting form, especially in light of a shoulder injury, garnered headlines.
He went 1-of-5 from deep in Monday's game as the Hawks provided a blueprint to help slow down Simmons and Embiid while Fultz is on the floor.
Simmons isn't a shooting threat either after he missed all 11 of his three-pointers last season and does his damage driving into the lane and either converting or dishing to teammates when defenders collapse. If Fultz's man is already clogging the paint, it cuts off Simmons' penetration routes and ensures the help defender won't come off a shooter.
Said defender can also double team Embiid on the blocks or high elbow and limit the big man's ability to torment opposing centers as a versatile matchup nightmare.
Philadelphia selected Fultz with the No. 1 pick in 2017, and he is clearly part of its long-term plans given his draft position and potential. He has started all seven games this season, but the team was a lackluster 20th in the league in offensive rating entering play Monday, per NBA.com.
Simmons and Embiid are both brilliant playmakers, but that overall team offense isn't going to cut it if the 76ers plan on competing with the Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors and others in an Eastern Conference that is wide open after LeBron James joined the Los Angeles Lakers.
There is a clear limit on the team's ceiling if Fultz can't make opponents pay for essentially ignoring him as an outside threat, especially when the 76ers play more talented teams than the Hawks. Simmons and Embiid can only carry this team so far if they are constantly driving into multiple defenders without surrounding outside threats.
If Fultz doesn't start hitting those shots, Philadelphia may be forced to give the vast majority of his playing time to JJ Redick and Landry Shamet come playoff time.
Trae Young's Inconsistent Start No Reason to Panic
The Hawks have a first-year head coach, traded Dennis Schroder this past offseason and finished 24-58 in 2017-18. They are clearly in rebuilding mode, and Young is their primary building block after they passed on the chance to land Luka Doncic on draft day for the Oklahoma product.
While Atlanta doesn't have the personnel to realistically compete in 2018-19, Young's development provides reason for hope after he led the country in points (27.4) and assists (8.7) per game during his one collegiate campaign at Oklahoma.
Hawks fans have been greeted with inconsistency thus far, as he hinted at his potential with an offensive explosion against the Cleveland Cavaliers (35 points and 11 assists) but went a combined 6-of-24 from the field and 1-of-9 from deep in the two games prior to Monday's.
It was more of the same against the 76ers, as he blew past Fultz and Robert Covington for layups, drilled a deep triple and dropped eight dimes while also going just 1-of-6 from three-point range and 5-of-13 from the field.
There is no reason to panic given the small sample size and the fact less-than-stellar performances give the 20-year-old opportunities to fight through adversity and develop a short memory, which will be needed as a franchise cornerstone. His individual development is far more important than wins and losses this season for the Hawks, and that gives him freedom with the ball many rookies aren't afforded.
Young and future draft picks figure to make up the Hawks' core when they are ready to compete again, so the ups-and-downs should not discourage him from continuing to attack offensively.
These contests are just trial runs for when the games take on more meaning later in his career.
What's Next?
Both teams hit the road on Tuesday with the 76ers taking on the Toronto Raptors and the Hawks meeting the Cleveland Cavaliers.
