Ben Simmons keyed the 76ers’ historic offensive turnaround from Game 1 to Game 2 against the Nets. He pushed the pace, attacked and created good shots for himself and teammates.
Brooklyn forward Jared Dudley explained Simmons’ improvement.
Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News:
Jared Dudley dropping gems at media availability: "Ben Simmons is a great player in transition. And once you get him into halfcourt, he's average."
— Stefan Bondy (@SBondyNYDN) April 17, 2019
Keith Pompey of The Inquirer:
#Sixers PG @BenSimmons25 responds to Jared Dudley’s comment about the #NBAAllStar being “average” in half court. pic.twitter.com/0BQTtHOnUL
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) April 18, 2019
Simmons:
Simmons’ dismissive tone makes this bigger than merely his words do. There’s definitely animosity brewing between these teams.
But this “beef” will get only as large as Simmons makes it.
He is great in transition and average in the halfcourt. Dudley’s remark wasn’t an insult. It was a scouting report.
Keeping Simmons out of transition is far easier said than done. That’s part of what makes Simmons a star. He frequently creates up-tempo opportunities.
Players can’t be defined by a list of strengths and weaknesses. How often those strengths and weaknesses affect the game is important.
Simmons often makes his strengths count.
There are still questions about just how often he can do that against the best defenses, especially deep into the playoffs. His poor shooting is a liability in the halfcourt.
For now, he’ll create plenty of fastbreaks against the Nets. Simmons is a good enough player to set the style against that defense. He’s better than Dudley, who’s just a role player.
But Dudley is also a smart player. And he’s spot-on here.