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Best Guards: Simmons, Young Win In Different Ways | Basketball initiates

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Best Guards: Simmons, Young Win In Different Ways | Basketball initiates

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Players are often compared to each other, especially when playing at the same position. This usually involves players who have the same skills and styles of play. Those two things couldn’t be more different between the leaders who face off in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Atlanta Hawks face the seeded Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, and while the spotlight is naturally on Joel Embiid, the real focus will be on Ben Simmons and Trae Young. Although they are the prosecution generals, the two guards will not defend each other in this series. That doesn’t take away from the fact that their teams will go as they try to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Rated at 6-foot-11 and 240 pounds, Simmons has a clear height advantage over Young, who is ten inches shorter and weighs 180 pounds. Three-time All-Star Simmons was the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, but missed his entire rookie season with a foot injury. Young finished fifth overall in the loaded class of 2018 and became a transcendent player in the first playoff game of his career.

These two young players struggled to lose teams early in their professional careers, but now they win when it matters most. The supporting cast around them is a major reason for their success, but their playing on the pitch has been phenomenal this season. What makes it so interesting are their contrasting playing styles.

Comparisons to Stephen Curry have always been there for Young, even during his years at the University of Oklahoma. He has unlimited reach, a quick first step off the ball and has always been a threat when he walks towards the basket. His floats in painting are nearly unstoppable when he has lob threats like Clint Capela, John Collins, and De’Andre Hunter.

Young’s skills stand in stark contrast to those of Simmons, who is on the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to shooting basketball. The reluctance to take perimeter photos of any kind always struck him, even before he arrived on the LSU campus. His lack of desire to work even on this part of his game discouraged many coaches, but he showed he didn’t need a strong jumper to be effective.

Whether it’s leading the quick break, setting up and executing a half-court attack, or simply executing a pick-and-roll, Simmons has been a thorn in the side of opposing defenses. His elite assists and ability to make the right decision in transition games raised the ceiling of Philadelphia’s offense. When many skeptics said he and Embiid just couldn’t work together, he found a way to prove them wrong.

As good as Simmons is with the ball in his hands, he doesn’t keep it very long. Simmons had a use rating of 26.4 in the regular season, which was tied for 91st overall in the league. Looking at Young, his use rate was 40.4 which was second in the entire league behind Luka Doncic. Embiid (39.4) was actually closer, ranking just behind him in third. Much of Atlanta’s offensive is being conducted in Young’s hands, and for good reason.

Despite his declining scores this season, Young has averaged career highs in assists, free throws and overall field goal percentage. His attempts at shooting declined dramatically, largely because he had so many other weapons around him. Ground spacers like Bogdan Bogdanovic, Danilo Gallinari, Kevin Huerter and Lou Williams have been essential to their success in attack. Now Young trusts them, which has paid dividends for Nate McMillan’s team.

Simmons hasn’t seen the statistical improvement Young has had this season, but he’s miles ahead of Young on the defensive end of the floor. Known as a passive defense, Young just doesn’t have the tools to even be an average defender. Simmons, on the other hand, is the ideal build for an elite defender. He’s been just that, stopping the best players from opposing teams every night, regardless of position. On the perimeter or inside the painting, Simmons has demonstrated his ability to compete with anyone.

After leading the league in interceptions last season, Simmons has progressed again this year under Doc Rivers. While the head coach gets the credit, it’s actually assistant Dan Burke who should get the praise. After joining the 76ers coaching staff after 22 years with the Indiana Pacers as a defensive guru, Burke has turned that group into arguably the best defensive team in the league.

Philadelphia had the second-best defensive rating this season due to the weapons they have on their roster. Guys like Embiid, Danny Green, Dwight Howard, Matisse Thybulle, Tobias Harris, Mike Scott, and George Hill all bought the system from Burke. Simmons, who is one of three finalists for Defensive Player of the Year award, is leading the way. This is just another great example of its exceptional value.

In terms of playing on the pitch resulting in team success, these two players have been exceptional. Young’s 2.22 Real Plus-Minus in the regular season ranked him 45th in the league, but Simmons finished ahead of him in 17th with a 3.67 odds. They both arrive at the same destination, simply taking different routes to get there.

These two teams are brimming with talent, from top to bottom. Each team ranks in the top three in terms of playoff blocks. Interestingly, Philadelphia shoots the most free throws per game while Atlanta shoots the least of the 16 teams that made the playoffs. That being said, the Hawks rank fifth in free throw percentage while the 76ers are 15th in that category. It’s a direct reflection on these two players.

Young shot 89 percent from the free throw line in the regular season, compared to just 61 percent for Simmons. Washington Wizards head coach Scott Brooks implemented the hack-a-Simmons strategy in their first-round series against Philadelphia. It worked to some extent, but Rivers was okay with leaving Simmons in the game. In the end, it worked, but it will be interesting to see if this is something McMillan chooses to duplicate in this series.

The proverbial saying “there is more than one way to butcher a cat” means that there is more than one way to achieve a goal. Daryl Morey and Travis Schlenk both deserve credit for their work this offseason. Philadelphia and Atlanta are just two examples of how to be successful using their talented playmakers. It doesn’t mean that one is better than the other, but only one of them will advance to the final. the Eastern Conference, while the other returns home.

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