No one has much space to operate when Simmons (who hasn’t shot a 3 all season) or Embiid (who is shooting 29.7 percent from 3 on 3.8 attempts per game this season) is playing off the ball, since defenses will gladly leave them open on the perimeter. Using one of Simmons or Embiid as a screener for Butler would take the ball out of their hands, and there isn’t anywhere to put the other on the floor. The problem for Philadelphia head coach Brett Brown is that it isn’t as simple as dialing up more plays for Butler. Running more sets for Butler with a big man diving to the basket and shooters around him would give them a late-game offensive identity they currently lack. Butler fits perfectly into the spread pick-and-roll offense that has taken over the league, but the 76ers run a more unorthodox system based around getting post-ups for Embiid and drives off movement for Simmons. The percentage of his offense that comes out of the two-man game has dropped from 35.7 percent to 24.1. He isn’t handling the ball in the pick-and-roll as often. They traded for him to push them over the top, and they haven’t given him a chance to do it.īutler’s stats (18.0 points on 46.2 percent shooting, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game) are down across the board from his time in Minnesota. The biggest issue is the lack of talent in their supporting cast, but Butler has valid complaints about the way he is being used by his new team. They might not be favored in a playoff series against any of them. The 76ers haven’t created any separation from the other top-five seeds in the Eastern Conference. But that still isn’t enough to make them a legitimate title contender. They went from 8-6 before the trade to 18-8 after, and their net rating jumped from minus-0.9 to plus-3.8. Lost in the drama is the fact that trading for Butler has made Philadelphia better. Ben Simmons Is Not Holding the Sixers Back
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |