The Philadelphia 76ers are preparing to start the second half on Thursday, when they will face the Chicago Bulls on the road. However, they are dealing with many issues regarding the league’s health and safety protocols when it comes to their double star Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
The two lost Sunday’s All-Star game in Atlanta due to contact with a barber who tested positive for COVID after he cut his hair before going to Atlanta for the festivities.
As the second half prepares to start, the Sixers are ranked third in ESPN’s latest edition of their power ratings:
The Sixers know what they will receive from Joel Embiid, who is arguably the NBA’s best center pivot, and is certainly his most dominant presence at the bottom. But Simmons has recently increased his level of aggression on the offensive side, and that has made a notable difference. The most surprising demonstration of this came against Utah Jazz last month, in a game in which Embiid did not play and Simmons set his career record with 42 points. But it also happened a lot when Embiid shared the court with him in the last few games. And when Simmons is aggressive like that, using his unique combination of size and strength to attack the defense, Philadelphia becomes a different team. Embiid deservedly receives more attention. But Simmons’ offense may be what determines the height of the Philadelphia ceiling.
The Sixers start the second half on the road against the Bulls on Thursday and then against the Wahington Wizards on Friday, as the schedule starts to get more compact and the games come at an even faster pace.
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