Ben Simmons doesn’t want to revisit regular season matchups with Kawhi Leonard
The Sixers point guard says this is a new team and new series and is only looking ahead.
Ben Simmons probably knew the questions were coming, but he wasn’t in the mood to delve into the subject.
Since the Sixers eliminated the Brooklyn Nets in five games and now prepare for Saturday’s opening of their Eastern Conference semifinal series in Toronto, Simmons’ struggles with Raptors superstar Kawhi Leonard have been revisited this week.
The two spent the majority of time guarding each other. Toronto was 3-0 in the games that Leonard played. In those games, Simmons had 24 turnovers and 27 assists. In the game Leonard didn’t play, the Sixers won, 126-101, on Dec. 22 and Simmons had 26 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists and just 1 turnover.
So he was asked during a brief interview with the media his thoughts on the matchup with Leonard.
“I don’t have any thoughts on it,” he said before Friday’s practice.
When prodded further, Simmons spoke briefly about Leonard, a three-time All-Star, two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and NBA Finals MVP in 2014.
“He is an All-Star, an amazing player, “Simmons said. “Great defender, great offensive player, so it is going to be a good matchup.”
Simmons then was asked about the difficulties that he can pose to Leonard.
“I like to defend,” he said. “I don’t know where the question is going. I am out there to play hard and compete.”
And then came the questions about his struggles with Leonard, and Simmons was clearly not interested in looking in the rear-view mirror.
“This is a whole new team, a whole new series, so I look forward to getting started with the team," Simmons said.
And Simmons brushed aside any thought that his previous struggles against Leonard will provide extra motivation.
“If you need any extra motivation now,” he said, and ended there, shaking his head.
The message was that he doesn’t care about what happened in the past and he needs no other motivation as the third-seeded Sixers look to beat the second-seeded Raptors.
After a rough game for Simmons and the Sixers in their opening 111-102 loss to Brooklyn, both the point guard and the team rebounded accordingly.
Over the final four games, Simmons averaged 19.3 points, 8.8 assists and 6.8 rebounds. He shot 68.1 percent from the field and 68.4 percent from the free-throw line, while also playing strong defense on All-Star D’Angelo Russell.
Sixers coach Brett Brown says that he gives zero credence to the games this season with Toronto, simply because both teams have changed.
What Brown has noticed is a maturation process in the 22-year-old Simmons in his playoff preparation.
“He definitely has not been the same [as last year),” Brown said. “You see an advancement of the serious side of the NBA Playoffs, you see a preparation that has increased.”
And Brown sees much more.
“You see a confidence level and a voice that is slowly emerging before our eyes,” Brown said. “We have used him differently in this year’s playoffs and will continue to do so. He has embraced it.”
Notes: Sixers forward Mike Scott is listed as out for Saturday’s game with a right heel contusion/plantar fasciitis of the right foot. Scott suffered the injury in Game 5 on Tuesday, the Sixers’ 122-100 closing win over the Nets.
Brown said that rookie Zhaire Smith, who only appeared in one of the first-round playoff games, could see playing time if Scott is out. (Brown was asked before the injury report came out.)
“In the event he was not available, I would bring Zhaire into the mix,” Brown said.
Joel Embiid, who was not available to speak to the media, was not listed on the NBA injury report. Embiid has been bothered by left knee tendinitis.
The NBA announced that Monday’s Game 2 in Toronto will start at 8 p.m.