Why the Portland Trail Blazers can drive the price down on Ben Simmons

Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, Portland Trail Blazers, Philadelphia 76ers, trade Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, Portland Trail Blazers, Philadelphia 76ers, trade Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /
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Joel Embiid, Shake Milton, Donovan Mitchell, Philadelphia 76ers, Utah Jazz
Joel Embiid, Shake Milton, Donovan Mitchell, Philadelphia 76ers, Utah Jazz (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) /

As much as the Trail Blazers stink, the Philadelphia 76ers aren’t that much better right now

While the Philadelphia 76ers have fared better than the Trail Blazers to start the season, it’s not like they’re tearing the league apart either.

The Sixers currently sit at 14-12, good for seventh in the East, which is definitely not where they’d like to be. Their most recent loss, a 22-point drubbing at the hands of the Utah Jazz, should have hammered that point home. Philadelphia has gotten to where they are behind the strength of their defense. On offense, though, they’ve looked nearly as ugly as the Blazers have been on defense.

Philly is currently averaging 106.7 points per game, 19th in the league.

“That’s because they play slow. They have a gigantic roster and their offense runs through a back-to-the-basket center in Joel Embiid!” – random Sixers fan

Boy do I have news for you, random Sixers fan. In their last 10 games, Philly has an offensive rating of 106.7 points per 100 possessions — 25th in the NBA in that stretch.

“Joel Embiid’s been injured!”

Wrong again, buddy. Embiid played seven of those 10 and averaged 27.6 points and 12.6 rebounds. He’s a big reason that the Sixers have managed to tread water at 5-5, despite their offense getting blasted with Gorilla Glue.

The problem is that defenses have started to figure out Tyrese Maxey after a torrid start. In his last 10 games, Maxey’s shooting only 39 percent from the floor and 24 from deep, according to statmuse.

In the beginning of the season, Maxey and a flaming-hot Seth Curry — who has also cooled down to a mild 33 percent from deep in his last 10 showings — provided the perimeter scoring that the Sixers desperately needed. It’s clear now, though, that Maxey won’t be enough to fix the rusty, over-bloated mess that Doc Rivers calls an offense.

If only there was an elite scoring guard available…