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Trendon Watford Does So Many of the Good Things that Ben Simmons Used to Do
By Sean Barnard
Published:
Before the passed up dunks, the mental collapses, the trade requests, and holdouts, there was a time when Ben Simmons was a very important part of this Sixers franchise. Having a 6-foot-10 forward who can get a rebound, put the ball on the floor in transition, and spray it to shooters all over the floor gave the team a unique look with effective offense stemming directly from ball-handling big. For the first time since June 20th, 2021, the Sixers possess a player of a similar skillset:
This quote from Joel Embiid was inspired by Trendon Watford recording 20 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists in the victory over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night. This was the first triple-double of Watford’s career and a clear example of what he can do. While he still needs 31 more to catch Ben Simmons for the second-most in Sixers franchise history, you have to start somewhere.
Trendon Watford is a Normal Ben Simmons
It was not too long ago that Simmons was being hailed as the next LeBron James. The first overall pick was looked at as a potential next face of the NBA with Hall of Fame potential. Now, there’s irony in the fact that Simmons played himself out of the league before James even retired himself.
While Watford will not quite be thrown into this conversation for this upper echelon of talent, the stylistic similarities with the two players are clear. Both were five-star recruits in their respective classes, both spent their collegiate years at LSU, stand roughly 6-foot-10, and possess a similar on-court skillset:
You can cue the jokes about how the two three-point attempts Watford made during his triple-double performance were more than Simmons made in five of the seven years of his NBA career. Or how the four three-pointers he has made already this season is just one shy of Simmons’ career total. Simmons’ refusal to contribute in the objectively most fun part of the sport of basketball is perplexing to this day. This is not the case for Watford, as he looks to be enjoying playing some basketball with expectations for results after spending time with the Trail Blazers and Nets thus far in his career.
But, as was often the case regarding Simmons, it’s the other intangibles that should make Watford’s impact so important. Embiid’s limited verticality and reduced athleticism make it all the more important to have a high-level rebounder next to him on the floor. Having a player capable of pulling in 17 rebounds while playing next to the former MVP, the way the free agent addition just did, is a big deal. This is especially the case when Watford can also take the ball right down the court to the other end and make effective entry passes to the big fella, who has looked better in every game this year. Even with all the impressive guard play that has been seen on the Sixers’ roster this year, none of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes, or Jared McCain are truly cut from a point guard role. Allowing each to work off-ball as cutters with Watford as the playmaker and involved with dribble hand-offs makes a ton of basketball sense. This may not be necessary on an every-game basis, but is a tool Nick Nurse will need to lean on plenty.
Sure, Watford may not have the Hall of Fame potential that Simmons once flashed. He followed up his first career triple-double with just seven points, three rebounds, and two assists while failing to assert himself very much the following night. The Alabama native is playing just 22.6 minutes per game with averages of 9.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists over seven games.
But he’s still just 25 years old and was brought in on a two-year, $5.3 million deal this offseason, with next year as a team option. This is roughly half of what fan-favorite Guerschon Yabusele signed with the Knicks in the offseason. Yabusele is on a two-year, $11.3 million deal with the Frenchman in control of his destiny since the second year is a player option. He also has failed to assert himself much in the Knicks’ rotation, playing just 9.9 minutes per game and posting averages of 2.4 points and 2.7 rebounds while shooting 23.5% on three-point attempts at the early part of the season.
The power forward position has been a point of concern for plenty of years, and Watford is at least a worthy option to keep in the rotation. Finding a player with his skillset and at this price is not an easy task that the front office was able to accomplish. Expect his role on this team to continue to grow as the season progresses, and keep him away from Kendall Jenner.
Sean Barnard has covered the Philadelphia 76ers and general Philly Sports for over six years in a variety of roles and for multiple outlets. Currently works as a Content Writer for DraftKings Network, Sixers/NBA Insider for Philadelphia's Fox Sports the Gambler, and co-host of Sixers & Phillies Digest on Youtube. Forever Trusting the Process.