is ben simmons playing today

He is a guy who can get it any way possible and he has stepped his game up even more inside the bubble averaging 30.3 points leading the Suns to a 6-0 start in Orlando.The Philadelphia 76ers will look to put a stop to his scoring rampage, but they will be down one of the game's elite defenders in Ben Simmons and they will also be without Josh Richardson. The 76ers' Ben Simmons attempts to shoot against the San Antonio Spurs during the third quarter.

It has been a good move for Simmons thus far as he and the team had some success with the new look in their three scrimmage games.“I’m just continuing to add new things to my game,” said Simmons.

Shake Milton had a better night at the point than he did against the Pacers, including a go-ahead three with six seconds remaining, but there’s nothing about the second-year player’s game that suggests he’s a playoff-caliber primary ballhander. There was Milton, knocking down a catch-and-shoot three and later beating his man off the dribble for a swooping layup. “His usage rate, his assists, his rebounding, everything’s better. It’s the ways I can contribute a lot.”The action with Simmons at the elbow can set up a nice high-low set up between himself and Joel Embiid. There was Al Horford, not just sharing the court with Embiid, but playing an active role in a defensive effort that left the Spurs scrambling to find some sliver of open space.

“Over time it’s all going to come. It does not help that they are now also missing Joel Embiid due to an ankle injury that complicates things.Embiid suffered the injury on Sunday in the first quarter of their loss to the Portland Trail Blazers and he will be out for Tuesday's matchup with the Phoenix Suns due to the injury. More significant than the scoreboard was the style of basketball they played. With less than a month remaining before the start of the playoffs, and with a potential first round matchup against the Celtics looming, Brett Brown’s number one priority is to get Simmons to a point where he is comfortable.

Forget his reluctance to shoot. If that means putting the ball back into his hands, so be it.

There’s one silver lining. It was a small mistake, the kind that becomes part of a young athlete’s muscle memory and, thus, becomes less likely to occur in the future.

At least for the moment. Everywhere else on the court, he was little more than a bystander.

Because, moving forward, he can’t play much worse. After another first half in which they looked confused on defense and uncertain on the other end of the court, the Sixers held the Spurs to 21 third-quarter points while turning a two-point halftime lead into a 99-87 margin befitting a team that considers itself among the league’s best.

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They will be doing so with a new starting lineup as Ben Simmons will be moving from point guard to power forward.Simmons will still have the ball a lot in his hands as he will be operating more from the elbow around the foul line rather than initiating offense from the jump. And maybe that means Simmons needs to be back in the role in which he was one. This might not be the worst that we’ve seen Simmons over the last couple of seasons, but it is on that end of the spectrum. The Sixers don’t need Simmons to shoot. Following the MRI on his back, Sixers fans have been posing the "When is Ben Simmons coming back" question to reporters. That way the Sixers can properly space the floor and allow Embiid time to work and do what he can on the floor. Get Sixers news and analysis from the Orlando bubble in your inbox on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The Philadelphia 76ers are getting set to officially resume the 2019-20 season in Orlando on Saturday against the Indiana Pacers. It’s new and it’s not new. I’m just seeing this tremendous partnership with Joel grow…there’s a growth there and a feeling that I have that I underestimated. The NBA is back. https://sixerswire.usatoday.com/2020/07/31/ben-simmons-loves-playing-the-4-ive-enjoyed-playing-this-new-role/ https://sixerswire.usatoday.com/2020/07/31/ben-simmons-loves-playing-the-4-ive-enjoyed-playing-this-new-role/

But, then, they are built in manner that demands both performing like All-Stars. “It’s not on my mind as it is everybody’s else’s. There’s so many different possibilities offensively for us to go towards.”Coach Brett Brown really made this move to allow Simmons to be much more dynamic and unlock other parts of his game offensively–such as “I think in general, Ben has been incredible being excited about accepting the role,” said Brown. That is, before he fouled out with 2:12 remaining. The NBA is back.

On the defensive end, it was the exact sort of effort the head coach and general manager have had in mind whenever they’ve insisted that theirs is a championship team. Midway through the second quarter, Simmons took a full-court pass from Tobias Harris in transition and ended up with position on the low block against a smaller defender. The pressure will now be on rookie Matisse Thybulle to step in and try and...The Philadelphia 76ers are going to be shorthanded going into the playoffs anyway due to the fact that Ben Simmons is most likely done for the season. With the 'Is Ben Simmons playing tonight' story likely to do the rounds for the next couple of games, the onus has now shifted to Ben Simmons' return date.

He rushed an off balance shot, didn’t draw any contact, and missed.