Should the Philadelphia 76ers bench Ben Simmons in crunch time?
Doc Rivers isn't pulling feedback from the suggestion box.
After the Philadelphia 76ers failed to sweep the Washington Wizards in their first-round matchup Wednesday, questions swirled about Rivers' decision to keep star guard Ben Simmons on the floor late in the 122-114 loss.
In his postgame news conference, the 76ers head coach dismissed the notion of pulling Simmons in crunch time, leaping to the defense of the 2016 No. 1 overall pick.
Simmons' free-throw shooting is at the crux of the inquiry.
A 61.3% free-throw shooter during the regular season, the 24-year-old came into Game 4 0-for-9 from the line in the series. Although he did hit five free throws in Wednesday's contest, he also missed six for a 45.5% conversion rate.
More importantly, the Wizards capitalized on his woes, intentionally sending him to the line in the game's final three minutes.
He didn't fare well, going 4-for-8 in his four trips with less than three minutes remaining.
Even so, Rivers was adamant that his decision to keep Simmons in the game was the right one.
His news conference became animated as Rivers battled against the "Ben Simmons narrative" and looked to protect his player.
As Rivers made clear: Simmons, with a career average of 15.9 points per game, isn't on the floor to be a volume scorer.
Rather, Simmons is tasked with setting up his teammates, grabbing rebounds and, perhaps most effectively, getting stops on the defensive side of the game.
That's how Brandon Marshall views Simmons, and the "First Things First" cohost thinks it's time to embrace that reality.
Marshall's cohost, Nick Wright, also noted that Rivers' impassioned defense of his player is what makes him such a beloved coach in player circles.
Furthermore, Wright questioned why taking a defensive-minded player off the floor in offensive situations isn't treated the same as taking off an offensive-minded player in defensive situations.
"He's a victim of being the No. 1 overall pick and a guy whose offensive game has not evolved, and people don't care as much about the defensive side of the ball — where I think he was the best player in the league this year," Wright said. "… And I think Doc is trying to emphasize that point while building up his own guys."
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But when it comes down to it, should Rivers get Simmons off the floor to counter the "Hack-A-Simmons" strategy?
Shannon Sharpe of "Undisputed" laid out the reasons he believes so.
"Doc, you owe it to your guys … and if Ben can't make free throws, I don't understand it," Sharpe said. "… Is he an elite defender? Yes. But I don't know if his defensive skills match his offensive deficiencies, and that's the issue. Because this is what you're going to see, Skip. This is going to cost them some more games."
Skip Bayless offered a more macro point of view on pulling a young star in crunch time.
"If you pull him, you might lose him in the big picture," Bayless said. "Because you're going to shame him publicly if you pull him. And he's a very good player. … You've got to ride with it and hope that it doesn't come completely back to bite you."
In addition to providing fodder for discussion, the Simmons debate has distracted from a potentially larger issue for the Sixers going forward: Joel Embiid's health.
The superstar center took a hard fall late in the first quarter Wednesday and didn't return, with the team citing right knee soreness.
His status going forward is yet to be determined, but if Embiid isn't good to go for Game 5 — or beyond — the focus on Simmons will grow more intense.
Will the Wizards continue to send Simmons to the line? Or will Rivers choose to deny them that opportunity?
Game 5, scheduled to tip at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday, will answer those questions and more.
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