Sixers update: don’t sleep on Philly, even in their current form

The biggest question for the Sixers is the same as it always has been: what’s the best way to build a team around him? In this context, Simmons is almost a bonus. At the very least, he’s a championship-caliber starter who’s versatile enough to play a role on virtually any team you can imagine. If he didn’t care about playing defense, that would be one thing. But his main flaws, his passivity and lack of confidence in his jump shot, are the same things that make him a universal fit. And, keep in mind, this is its floor. Simmons has just completed his third NBA season. In Giannis’ third season, he averaged 16.9 points per game and shot 28 of 109 three-pointers. We probably shouldn’t expect Simmons to go through the transformation that Giannis made. The point is, it’s early.