Where the LA Clippers need Ben Simmons most is off the bench, in the playoffs, when head coach Tyronn Lue is looking for a spark of offense. This was one of the many intentions behind the Simmons buyout, as he can orchestrate easy points despite not being the main option.
In his first game for the Clippers, Simmons capitalized on his abilities at age 28, which showcased to fans why executive Lawrence Frank was adamant about acquiring him. He simply makes the game trouble-free for Lue’s best players: James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Norman Powell, and Ivica Zubac.
However, his tasks seem oddly familiar to what the Clippers experienced with the triple-double king, Russell Westbrook. Sure, Simmons and Westbrook may be significantly different in height and weight, but they are both guards who can pass, defend, and refrain from shooting three-pointers.
Though the Westbrook experiment originally worked, his inability to shoot made him a liability. This is where his defender would play help-side defense, generating more pressure inside the paint.
Additionally, Westbrook and Simmons have poor playoff track records, which concerns fans about how the former first-overall pick will help the Clippers when the season is at stake.
Ben Simmons may help the LA Clippers win a few regular season games, but he will sink them in the postseason.
Although the overall playoff stats may favor Ben Simmons on the LA Clippers, the true averages are in the game log. Out of 12 games against the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks in 2020-21, Simmons scored six or fewer points in four of them.
Furthermore, the argument for his low averages may be that Simmons has never been known to be an elite scorer. Well, looking deeper, the LSU Product went 34.2% from the free-throw line on 73 attempts. This meant opponents purposefully fouled him and would benefit as he would typically miss one or both attempts.
With little confidence to drain shots from the strike, Simmons’ entire game spiraled downwards. He was passing up on attempts he would usually make around the basket, which inevitably led to the viral moment against superstar Trae Young and the Hawks.
While Simmons and Russell Westbrook have different issues, they could have both been perceived as unplayable. Their weaknesses presented an easy route to victory for the opposing team in a seven-game series.
That said, Tyronn Lue will be forced to evaluate how teams won with Westbrook on the court, resulting in a unique minutes structure for Simmons in the postseason.