From now on I’m going to pretend that Dario Saric is Ben Simmons. I’m not just going to acknowledge that Saric and Simmons have similarities in their respective games; I’m actually going to watch Sixers games as if Simmons is playing and not Saric. Don’t hate. This is my way of dealing with the pain of seeing so many Sixers rookies get injured. I’m pretty sure “pretending the deceased is still alive” is one of the six stages of grief.
Ben Simmons had a pretty good game tonight, if a little free-throw heavy. His lack of a jumper remains an issue, but his playmaking and finishing ability make up for it somewhat. Ignore that missed wide-open dunk he had. Happens to the best of us, except for those of us who can only barely graze the rim on a good day. With Embiid out indefinitely, he is definitely the favorite, as many predicted, to win the ROY award. All he has to do is beat out Malcolm Brogdon, which should be easy enough.