Doc Rivers Speaks on Ben Simmons’ Scoring Numbers

Despite all they have had to endure to kick off the second half of the year, the Sixers continue to see success. In the 14 games post All-Star, they sit at a 10-4 record, and that is with playing without one of Ben Simmons or Joel Embiid in a large majority of those games.

Even with the success they've seen, there has been one glaring weak point in this stretch. That is that Ben Simmons is going through a rough cold stretch.

In the 11 games he has played since the All-Star break, Simmons is averaging 12.9 PPG and shooting 45.5% from the floor. Along with a dip in his scoring he has also had some turnover issues, coughing the ball up 42 times in this stretch.

After Sunday's loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, head coach Doc Rivers would be asked about the recent dip in Simmons' scoring. Saying that it is the least thing that he is concerned about right now.

I think Ben's a facilitator, and I think that's what he does. I think you guys are way more concerned about Ben's scoring than I am.

Rivers has always been very open about Simmons' impact on winning outside of scoring. This recent stretch almost backs it up as the team has still been winning games despite this cold stretch from Simmons.

I think Ben does so many things for this team to help us win. Scoring I'm telling you the least thing that I'm concerned about.

Many factors could play into this recent dip from Simmons. The big one could be playing without Joel Embiid. Before the All-Star break, we saw a new, more aggressive version of Simmons, something we had never seen before.

Part of what opened up the floor for him was the attention Embiid and Tobias Harris draw on the floor. With Embiid out, defenses have been about to zero in on him more.

Another theory that has been tossed around is that his knee could still be giving him troubles. Simmons has missed some time this season due to knee soreness, and a nagging injury like that could give him more troubles day-to-day than is being let on.

This would explain games like Sunday, where Simmons came out punishing the rim then seem to let his foot off the gas a little (along with the rest of the team.)

Rivers said it best when he said this recent drought from Simmons is not a major area of concern. Yes, he is going through a bit of a rough patch, but most players do throughout a season. Not to mention a condensed season like this where teams are playing about every 48 hours.

Every player goes through stretches of the season where they struggle, even an All-Star like Simmons. Once this team is fully healthy and firing on all cylinders again, Simmons will likely return to the player we saw before the All-Star break.