Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers went to the next level in “The Process” this season, making it all the way to the second round of the NBA Playoffs. Unfortunately, the 76ers were unable to overcome the Boston Celtics and ended up getting bounced out of the postseason. As the 76ers look forward to the upcoming offseason, LeBron James rumors have already begun surfacing.
Rumors are flying already and the offseason hasn’t even arrived. Simmons was even asked about his thoughts on James joining the 76ers and how the two would play together in an interview with TMZ . He made it clear that he would love to have “The King” join the squad in Philadelphia.
“There’s only one way to find out.”
While Simmons and James would be an intriguing duo, there are some concerns about the pairing. Simmons has not shown the ability to shoot the basketball and thrives with the ball in his hands. James also thrives with the basketball in his hands.
James is also used to playing the point guard position, even if it isn’t by definition. Simmons played point for the 76ers in 2017-18 and due to his poor shooting would have a tough time playing his game playing second fiddle.
During the 2017-18 season, Simmons ended up averaging 15.8 points per game to go along with 8.2 assists and 8.1 rebounds. He shot 54.5 percent from the floor overall and didn’t make a single three-point attempt. Those numbers are solid, but again, the shooting numbers draw major concern.
Ben Simmons Says He’d Like to Play with LeBron James in Philly https://t.co/230EqluDb8
— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) May 28, 2018
LeBron, on the other hand, is playing the best basketball of his career. He led his Cleveland Cavaliers past the Boston Celtics and into the NBA Finals, which makes it eight straight seasons that he has been in the NBA Finals. Many believe that he will leave Cleveland after this season, especially due to the lack of help that he has had this season and some disagreements with owner Dan Gilbert.
James averaged 27.5 points, 9.1 assists, and 8.6 rebounds per game during the regular season. He has taken his game to a new level in the playoffs, averaging 34.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game. If he were to head to Philadelphia, the 76ers would become the immediate favorite in the Eastern Conference, although the Celtics are going to be a title contender as well.
Philadelphia is going to pursue James this offseason, that is not the question. Cleveland is also going to try to bring him back, while the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers could also get involved in the conversation.
Expect to see the 76ers make an aggressive pitch to James this offseason. He seems to like what Philadelphia is doing, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him consider signing there.
