Tag: ben simmons

Ben Simmons has herniated disk, says Nets coach Steve Nash

Ben Simmons hasn’t made his Brooklyn Nets debut yet, and while there may be more than one reason why, a herniated disk is a big factor. Via the New York Daily News:

Nets head coach Steve Nash confirmed reports that star forward Ben Simmons has aggravated his herniated disk, a back injury he’s been dealing with for several years dating back to his time with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Nash said the herniated disk is why Simmons, the 25-year-old two-time All-Star who was the highlight of the James Harden trade, received an epidural on March 15.

“He’s had this (a herniated disk) a couple of years ago, so he’s had this throughout his career at some points,” Nash said ahead of tipoff against the Jazz on Monday.

Sixers trade Ben Simmons, Andre Drummond, Seth Curry and draft picks to Nets for James Harden and Paul Millsap

The Brooklyn Nets have acquired guard/forward Ben Simmons, guard Seth Curry, center Andre Drummond and two future first round draft picks in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers for guard James Harden and forward Paul Millsap.

In a related transaction, the Nets have requested waivers on forward DeAndre’ Bembry.

“James Harden is one of the truly elite players in the league. His career has been defined by incredible personal achievement, including honors as NBA MVP and three-time NBA scoring champion,” Philadelphia 76ers Managing Partner Josh Harris said. “We’re thrilled to pair him with Joel Embiid and this dynamic roster in our pursuit of an NBA title. I am proud to welcome James and Paul Millsap – a proven veteran and former All Star – to the 76ers, and can’t wait for what the future holds for the city and our fans.”

In the trade, Philadelphia sent Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, Ben Simmons, a 2022 first-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick to Brooklyn. The 2027 first-round pick is protected for selections 1-8. Should it not convey in 2027, it becomes a 2028 first-round pick, protected selections 1-8. If the pick does not convey in the first round of the 2028 NBA Draft, it becomes a 2028 second-round pick and cash consideration.

“We are thrilled to welcome Ben, Seth, Andre and their families to Brooklyn,” Nets General Manager Sean Marks said. “Ben is an All-NBA and All-Defensive player with elite playmaking abilities, while Seth has proven to consistently be one of the league’s best 3-point shooters and Andre has been one of the league’s top rebounders for the last decade. Together, the three will enhance our core by providing versatility and depth on both ends of the floor while better balancing our roster.

“The decision to trade James was a difficult one, however after recent discussions with him and his representatives we felt that this move would be best for all involved, as it better positions us to achieve our goals this season and in the years ahead. We appreciate everything that James has done for our organization both on and off the court and wish him, Paul and DeAndre’ the best moving forward.”

A three-time NBA All-Star (2019-21) and All-NBA Third Team selection in 2020, Simmons (6’10”, 240) has appeared in and started 275 career games in four seasons with Philadelphia, registering averages of 15.9 points on 56.0 percent shooting from the field, 8.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.7 steals in 33.9 minutes per game. A native of Melbourne, Australia, Simmons is a two-time NBA All-Defensive First Team performer (2020 and 2021) and led the league in steals per game (2.1) in the 2019-20 season. The 25-year-old Simmons is one of just five players in NBA history to total 4,000 points, 2,000 rebounds and 2,000 assists within their first four seasons, joining Grant Hill, LeBron James, Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson. He has also seen action in 34 playoff games across three postseason appearances, recording averages of 13.9 points on 57.1 percent shooting from the field, 8.0 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.4 steals in 35.1 minutes per contest. Simmons was originally selected with the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by Philadelphia and secured Rookie of the Year honors after a standout first season with the 76ers. Prior to beginning his NBA career, Simmons spent one year (2015-16) at Louisiana State University, earning consensus first-team All-America honors, All-SEC First Team honors and the SEC Freshman of the Year award.

Curry (6’1”, 192) has appeared in 358 career games (180 starts) in eight seasons with Philadelphia, Dallas, Portland, Sacramento, Phoenix, Memphis and Cleveland, recording averages of 11.1 points on 47.5 percent shooting from the field, 43.7 percent shooting from 3-point range and 85.4 percent shooting from the free-throw line, 2.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 24.9 minutes per game. He has seen action in 45 games this season with the 76ers, posting averages of 15.0 points (a career high) on 48.5 percent shooting from the field, 40.0 percent shooting from distance and 87.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line, 3.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 34.8 minutes per contest. Across the last four seasons (2018-22), the 31-year-old Curry has shot 43.9 percent from 3-point range, second among all players (minimum 1,000 attempts), trailing only Joe Harris (45.8 percent). Curry also ranks fifth in NBA history in career 3-point percentage, trailing only Harris (43.9 percent) among active players. A native of Charlotte, N.C., Curry went undrafted in 2013 after playing collegiately at Liberty (2008-09) and Duke (2010-13), where he earned All-ACC First Team honors in his final collegiate season.

Drummond (6’10”, 280) has appeared in 694 games (606 starts) across 10 seasons with Philadelphia, Cleveland, Los Angeles Lakers and Detroit, recording averages of 13.9 points on 53.8 percent shooting from the field, 13.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.5 blocks in 29.9 minutes per game. In 49 games (12 starts) with the 76ers this season, Drummond has posted averages of 6.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 18.4 minutes per contest. The 28-year-old is a two-time All-Star (2016 and 2018), an All-NBA Third Team selection in 2016 and a four-time league leader in rebounds (2016, 2018-20). Among active players, Drummond ranks fourth in rebounds (9,272) and second in offensive rebounds (3,160). His career rebounds per game average is tops among all active players and 10th in NBA history. The Mount Vernon, N.Y., native was originally selected with the ninth overall pick in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft by Detroit after spending one year (2011-12) at the University of Connecticut, where he earned Big East All-Freshman Team honors.

For his career, Harden has appeared in 921 games (707 starts) with Brooklyn, Houston and Oklahoma City and holds averages of 25.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game. The only non-active NBA players ever to average at least 25-5-6 for a career are Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson and Jerry West. Harden’s 67 triple-doubles rank eighth all-time in NBA history.

Harden was selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in October 2021 by a blue-ribbon panel of current and former NBA players, coaches, general managers and team and league executives, WNBA legends and sportswriters and broadcasters.

This season, with the Nets, Harden has averaged 22.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 10.2 assists (second in the NBA) in 37.0 minutes per contest across 44 games (all starts), making him the only player this season with such averages. Harden has recorded nine triple-doubles, tied for the third-most in the league this season. He’s also registered 29 double-doubles, tied for the sixth-most in the league this season and the most among guards.

Earlier this month, Harden was named to the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, his 10th career selection. His streak of 10 consecutive All-Star selections is the second-longest active streak in the NBA.

Prior to joining the Nets in January 2021, Harden spent parts of nine seasons (2012-21) with the Rockets. During that time, Harden was named the 2017-18 NBA MVP after leading the NBA in points per game (30.4) and finishing third in assists (8.8). He was also among the top-three vote-getters for the award each season from 2016-20. Harden ended his Houston career as the franchise’s all-time leader in three-pointers (2,029), free throws (5,554) and assists (4,796) while ranking second in team history with 18,365 total points and third with 1,087 steals.

Harden, a three-time NBA scoring champion (2018-20) is one of four players in league history to have multiple seasons averaging at least 20 points, five rebounds and 10 assists. He’s in the midst of the third such season of his career. The only other players to do so more than once are Russell Westbrook (five times) and Hall of Famers Magic Johnson (three times) and Oscar Robertson (five times). His 36.1 points per game average in 2018-19 was the second-highest by any player since the start of the 1970-71 season, behind only Hall of Famer Michael Jordan’s average of 37.1 in 1986-87.

In his 13th NBA season, Harden was initially drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the No. 3 overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft where he went on to play three seasons and captured the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 2011-12.

Prior to entering the NBA, Harden spent two years (2007-09) at Arizona State, earning All-Pac-10 First Team honors twice and earning consensus first-team All-America honors. He was named the Pac-10 Player of the Year in his second and final collegiate season, leading the Sun Devils to a 25-10 record while averaging 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists.

Millsap has appeared in 1,076 career games (745 starts) across 16 NBA seasons with Brooklyn, Denver, Atlanta and Utah, recording averages of 13.5 points on .489 shooting from the floor, .341 from three-point range and .736 from the free-throw line, along with 7.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks in 28.2 minutes per game.

This season with the Nets, Millsap appeared in 24 games and averaged 3.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 11.3 minutes per contest. Millsap’s teams have qualified for the postseason 12 times in his 15 NBA seasons, and he’s played in 129 total playoff games (75 starts) with averages of 12.2 points, while shooting .457 from the field, along with 6.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 blocks in 27.5 minutes per contest.

Millsap was originally selected by Utah with the No. 47 overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. After seven seasons with the Jazz, he signed with Atlanta where he was named an All-Star in four consecutive seasons, as he averaged 17.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. In 2015-16, Millsap was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team when he was the only NBA player to rank in the top 15 in both steals and blocks per game. For his career, he’s totaled 1,322 steals and 1,043 blocks, making him one of 10 players in NBA history to post at least 1,300 and 1,000. Millsap played his college basketball at Louisiana Tech University where he became the only player in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in rebounds in three consecutive seasons.

Bembry appeared in 48 games (20 starts) this season, recording averages of 5.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals in 19.8 minutes per game after signing as a free agent with the Nets on Aug. 8, 2021. In 288 career games (55 starts) across six seasons with Brooklyn, Toronto and Atlanta, Bembry has averaged 6.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals in 19.4 minutes per contest.

Sixers and Warriors reportedly discussed a Ben Simmons trade

There are all sorts of trade discussions happening involving Sixers guard Ben Simmons. Via the Philadelphia Inquirer:

The Sixers asked for Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman, the Nos. 7 and 14 picks in tonight’s NBA draft along with two future first-rounders in exchange for Ben Simmons, according to multiple sources. The Warriors quickly turned down the offer.

This comes after a source confirmed The Ringer report that the Sixers asked the San Antonio Spurs for four first-round picks, three first-round pick swaps, and a young player in exchange for Simmons.

According to the Action Network, the Toronto Raptors rejected the Sixers’ asking price of Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, and the fourth pick in tonight’s draft for a package that included Simmons.

Will Warriors pursue Ben Simmons?

Sixers guard Ben Simmons is young, talented, but will also probably be the subject of serious trade rumors throughout the offseason. Via the Philly Voice:

The Ben Simmons rumor mill continues to churn, and the latest potential suitor is a name you should expect to hear a ton up until draft night in late July: the Golden State Warriors.

That’s the word from ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who has been a source of a lot of Simmons gossip this past week…

Any trade the Warriors are making this offseason is going to be in an effort to put a stronger supporting cast around Stephen Curry in the final year of his contract next season. Curry has never said anything to suggest he wants to leave the franchise where he became a megastar, but playing elite-level basketball only to miss the playoffs entirely surely is not what he has in mind for his twilight years.

Jazz center Rudy Gobert wins 2020-21 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award

Rudy Gobert has done it again. The Jazz center was named 2020-21 NBA Defensive Player of the Year today, marking the third time he’s won the award. Gobert joins Dwight Howard, Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace as the only players in NBA history to win the award three-or-more times.

Gobert (7-1, 256, France) led the NBA among qualified players in defensive rating (100.6), defensive win shares (5.2), defensive rebounds (10.1) and was second in blocks per game (2.7) during the 2020-21 season. He also led the NBA in +/- (+728) and total rebounds (960). Helping the Jazz to the best-record in the NBA at 52-20, and the team’s first overall no. 1 seed in franchise history, the eight-year pro was the anchor to the NBA’s third best defense, which owned a defensive rating of 107.5. According to FiveThirtyEight’s defensive RAPTOR metric, Gobert posted the highest such rating (+8.0) last season by a player since 1977.

On the offensive end, he led the NBA in field goal percentage (.675), dunks (231) and was second in screen assists per game (6.1). For the year, he finished with 14.3 points, a career-high-tying 13.5 boards, 2.7 blocks and 1.3 assists in 30.8 minutes per game. The Frenchman posted the third most double-doubles in the NBA with 49 and was named an All-Star for the second-straight season.

In addition to winning the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year Award in three seasons (2018, 2019 and 2021) and being named a two-time NBA All-Star (2020, 2021), Gobert has been named to the All-NBA Second Team (2017), selected to the All-NBA Third Team twice (2019, 2020) and received All-NBA Defensive First Team honors in four seasons (2017-20).

Appearing in 545 games (453 starts), he owns career averages of 12.0 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.3 steals in 29.7 minutes per contest. Over the last five seasons no other player in the NBA has more blocks (855) than Gobert and he’s collected 4,554 boards during that stretch, the second most in the NBA.

Competing in his fifth-straight postseason, Gobert has helped Utah to the 2021 Western Conference Semifinals, averaging 16.2 points, 12.8 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in 32.7 minutes per game during the playoff run.

Gobert has passed the late Mark Eaton for the most Defensive Player of the Year honors in Jazz history with Eaton winning twice in 1985 and 1989.

Other finalists for NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year were Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons and Golden State’s Draymond Green. Gobert received 84 first-place votes and earned 464 points from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. Simmons finished in second place with 287 points (15 first-place votes). Green finished in third place with 76 points. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.

Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons will miss the 2021 NBA All-Star game

Prior to traveling to Atlanta, Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons had contact with an individual (reportedly a barber) who is confirmed today to have tested positive for the coronavirus. As a result, Embiid (Team Durant) and Simmons (Team LeBron) will not play in tonight’s NBA All-Star Game.

Participation for other All-Stars and members of the 76ers coaching staff in Atlanta is not affected because they were not exposed to the individual in Philadelphia.

Sixers have issues to solve heading into next NBA season

The Sixers’ story remains the same right now as it did heading into last season: a talented roster with flawed chemistry and some work to do should they aim to advance far in the playoffs. Here’s the Philly Voice:

While Doc Rivers brings credibility to the coach’s chair and front office changes should help out a beleaguered front office, they still have the same fundamental problems that caused them to unravel last season. The Al Horford problem is still waiting to be solved, and while Tobias Harris played his best basketball under Rivers in L.A., he did so in an ecosystem where he was the focal point, surrounded by excellent spacing he’ll likely never see here.

Another critical factor — the further we get into the careers of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, the less likely it seems either player is poised for a leap from talented All-Star to a title-winning leader. Embiid regressed on several fronts last season, openly unhappy with how the team had changed around him, and while Simmons’ defensive progress is hard to argue, his offensive shortcomings continue to hang over the team, with no significant change in sight.

New head coach Rivers has some compelling challenges ahead of him.

2019-20 All-NBA teams announced

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James have been unanimously selected to the 2019-20 All-NBA First Team.

James has set the NBA record with his 16th All-NBA Team selection, which includes a record 13 selections to the First Team, two to the Second Team and one to the Third Team. He passed 15-time All-NBA Team selections Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan.

Antetokounmpo, the 2019-20 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and James both received All-NBA First Team votes on all 100 ballots to finish with 500 points each. Named to the All-NBA Team for the fourth time, Antetokounmpo has earned his second First Team honor.

The 2019-20 All-NBA First Team also features Houston Rockets guard James Harden (474 points; 89 First Team votes), Lakers forward-center Anthony Davis (455 points; 79 First Team votes) and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić (416 points; 59 First Team votes).

Harden and Davis have been voted to the All-NBA First Team for the sixth and fourth time, respectively. Dončić is making his All-NBA Team debut in his second season. He is the first player selected to the All-NBA First Team in either his first or second season since Duncan in 1998-99. Dončić, 21, also becomes the sixth player named to the All-NBA First Team at age 21 or younger, joining Kevin Durant (2009-10), James (2005-06), Duncan (1997-98), Rick Barry (1965-66) and Max Zaslofsky (1946-47).

The 2019-20 All-NBA Second Team consists of LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (372 points), Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić (311), Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (284), Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul (199) and Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam (168).

The 2019-20 All-NBA Third Team is composed of Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (153 points), Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (147), Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (110), Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (61) and Rockets guard Russell Westbrook (56).

Siakam, Tatum and Simmons join Dončić as first-time selections to the All-NBA Team. Paul and Westbrook have been voted to the All-NBA Team for the ninth time each. Lillard and Leonard have earned their fifth and fourth All-NBA Team selections, respectively. This marks the third All-NBA Team honor for both Butler and Gobert and the second for Jokić.

The All-NBA Team was selected by a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. Players were awarded five points for each vote to the All-NBA First Team, three points for each vote to the Second Team and one point for each vote to the Third Team. Voters selected two guards, two forwards and one center for each team, choosing players at the position where they play regularly. Players who received votes at multiple positions were slotted at the position where they received the most votes.

The voting was conducted based on regular-season games played through March 11. The seeding games, which were played July 30 – Aug. 14 as part of the 2019-20 season restart, did not count toward voting for the All-NBA Team or the league’s other traditional end-of-season awards.

Should Mike D’Antoni get Sixers coaching job?

Mike D’Antoni has reportedly notified the Houston Rockets that he won’t be returning to the squad next season. His contract was up. The Sixers recently parted ways with head coach Brett Brown. Could D’Antoni be a fit? Here’s Philly Voice with some of the reasons why it could work:

If you want somebody to come to Philadelphia and run more pick-and-roll, look no further. D’Antoni’s spread pick-and-roll offense has coaxed the best out of both his ballhandlers and his big men, with rim-running threats like Amare Stoudemire and Clint Capela blossoming under his watch.

Joel Embiid doesn’t seem to fit the mold of that sort of player, but perhaps D’Antoni’s arrival would signal a change of emphasis for Embiid, who could do with a steadier diet of rim runs (and an improvement to his actual diet). Ben Simmons, however, feels like a natural fit as the athletic, downhill forward who can put pressure on the rim to create gaps for ballhandlers. D’Antoni is one of the game’s best stewards of positionless basketball, and Simmons would give him a terrific building block for all sorts of lineup experimentation.

Though D’Antoni has not had the strongest defensive reputation throughout his career — okay, that’s an understatement — the Sixers should be able to play high-level defense in almost any system with Embiid and Simmons as the building blocks. What they need is someone who can make their lives easier on offense, and extract more offensive value out of a jumbled collection of role players, easing the scoring burden on two guys still developing their games.

The Sixers are built around Embiid, Simmons, Tobias Harris and Al Horford. A somewhat confusing mix of players. The team’s offense is what does need the biggest help, as the Sixers were higher-rated on the defensive side of the floor this past season.

It’ll take a clever coach to help these guys take things to the next level. As well as some GM work on the roster, but that’s a discussion for another day.

Official 2019-20 NBA All-Defensive Teams

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, the 2019-20 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year, leads the 2019-20 NBA All-Defensive First Team, the NBA announced today.

Antetokounmpo received 97 NBA All-Defensive First Team votes from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters and earned 195 total points. This marks the second straight NBA All-Defensive First Team selection for Antetokounmpo, who also made the Second Team in 2016-17.

Joining Antetokounmpo on the 2019-20 NBA All-Defensive First Team are Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (187 points; 87 First Team votes), Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (185 points; 88 First Team votes), Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (180 points; 85 First Team votes) and Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (152 points; 57 First Team votes).

Davis, who finished in second place for the 2019-20 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, has been named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the second time to go with two Second Team honors. This is the fourth consecutive NBA All-Defensive First Team selection for Gobert, the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Smart has been selected to the First Team for the second season in a row. Simmons is a First Team choice in his NBA All-Defensive Team debut.

The 2019-20 NBA All-Defensive Second Team consists of LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (128 points), Bucks center Brook Lopez (67), Miami Heat forward Bam Adebayo (61), Clippers guard Patrick Beverley (60) and Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe (59).

Leonard has been named to the NBA All-Defensive Team (First Team and Second Team) for the sixth time. This is the third NBA All-Defensive Team selection for Beverley and the second for Bledsoe. Adebayo and Lopez join Simmons as first-time selections to the NBA All-Defensive Team.

With the selection of Antetokounmpo to the NBA All-Defensive First Team and Lopez and Bledsoe to the Second Team, the Bucks are the first team to have at least three players named to the NBA All-Defensive Team since the Memphis Grizzlies in 2012-13 (Tony Allen, Mike Conley and Marc Gasol).

Players were awarded two points for each vote to the NBA All-Defensive First Team and one point for each vote to the Second Team. Voters selected two guards, two forwards and one center for each team, choosing players at the position they play regularly. Players who received votes at multiple positions were slotted at the position at which they received the most votes.

The voting was conducted based on regular-season games played through March 11. The seeding games, which were played July 30 – Aug. 14 as part of the 2019-20 season restart, did not count toward voting for the NBA All-Defensive Team or the league’s other traditional end-of-season awards.