After not scoring in double figures the first nine games of the season — and causing much handwringing among fans and pundits alike, Ben Simmons is on a roll. In the last five games, Simmons has averaged 14.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.2 blocks and shooting nearly 80% (78.6% to be precise) overall. He’s shooting only 53.8% from the line but all those numbers are well in line with his career numbers, other than shooting percentage. He’s way above his career number which is 56.1.
The sample is getting less small, too. Moreover, Simmons game is building.
Markieff Morris defended Simmons’ slow start and explained why he’s not surprised by what looks like a sudden change in his teammate’s play. He had one word to describe it.
“Healthy. He finally got his legs under him. He was off for two years. Y’all wouldn’t give him a chance, y’all want to criticize him after every fu***** game ...” Morris told the media. ““But when a guy don’t play two years — because obviously y’all wouldn’t know because none of y’all played in the NBA, he had to get his body right. Contact every night, he’s playing 30-plus minutes, it takes time.”
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