LeBron James and the new-look Philadelphia 76ers took down the defending champion New York Knicks on Tuesday, with a final score of 106-100.
This was a statement win for Philadelphia. After a surprisingly eventful offseason that saw Jaylen Brown and James join forces with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe, this was arguably an even better team than the Knicks on paper.
Still, there were two looming questions surrounding the 76ers entering the season: whether their talent could translate to production, and whether they have enough depth to go the distance.
In terms of the former, it was an encouraging season opener that suggested these stars buying into diminished roles for the betterment of the team shouldn't be as much of a problem as many made it out to be once James made his free-agent decision. Now, it's only a matter of whether they have the depth to survive the length and physicality of the postseason, one that will be even harder after seeing how many good teams there finally are in the East.
Anfernee Simons is crucial in his new bench role for the 76ers
One player in particular who will be vital for Philadelphia's postseason run and contention chances is former Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons.
The 76ers won on talent and defense, overcoming a poor shooting night in which they shot 11-for-40 (28 percent) from beyond the arc. They may have arguably the best starting lineup in the league, but they'll need depth to go the distance. Between the available options coming off the bench, Simons appears most likely to take on that true sixth man role as the season progresses.
Head coach Nick Nurse had a short rotation, relying heavily on Simons and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for bench depth as the only two bench players to exceed 20-plus minutes. Forward Dean Wade should join that group when he returns from his ankle injury as well.
Simons finished with 13 points in 25 minutes, shooting 5-of-10 from the field and 3-of-8 from three-point range. It already looks like a good fit for him in that combo guard role coming off the bench, with his primary role being to simply get buckets.
Blazers fans know Simons is an underrated microwave in the sense that he can get hot and single-handedly turn the tide of games. His underrated skillset should be far more recognized this season in Philadelphia with the spotlight that comes from this "Trust the LeProcess" season.
This team has everything required for a championship run between the experience, defense, playmaking, and star power. But the importance of Simons’ value in Philadelphia to make all these stars fit together can't be overstated.
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