Sixers Test Ben Simmons' Defensive Versatility in Loss to Celtics

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Ben Simmons is not letting himself off the hook for his mistakes. 

After assessing his performance in the preseason opener a seven out of 10, he cracked down on his errors in the Sixers' 110-102 loss to the Celtics on Friday (see observations).

"Tonight, six or five," Simmons graded himself. "Too many turnovers, obviously, too many offensive fouls on (Aron) Baynes."

Simmons committed a game-high five turnovers, compared to just one against the Grizzlies. He accounted for over 20 percent of the team's total 24 giveaways. Simmons' early foul trouble (four total) factored into that. He was whistled for two offensive fouls against Baynes while trying to score on the big man at the basket. 

"We've got to continue to grow the jump stop, avoiding the collision and coming into a maybe more controlled environment," Brett Brown said. 

Simmons scored eight points in 23 minutes. He shot 3 for 8 from the field and struggled at the line (2 for 6). Brown is encouraging Simmons to shoot more jumpers throughout the preseason.

The Sixers are learning something new about Simmons each game. On Friday, they studied how he matches up defending smaller players. Simmons started the game on power forward Jayson Tatum. He switched to small forward Gordon Hayward, shooting guard Jaylen Brown and was later tasked with standout point guard Kyrie Irving. 

There was a seven-inch height differential between Irving and Simmons, not to mention six years of experience, four All-Star appearances and an NBA championship. 

"It was good to be matched up against a great point guard like him and get a feel for that," Simmons said. 

Irving noticed areas of improvement for Simmons in that matchup. The 2011 No. 1 pick also saw potential in his 2016 counterpart. 

"It's going to be an adjustment [for Simmons]," Irving said. "Understanding that when he's at the point guard role and he's there, he's going to be going against some dynamic players, including myself. 

"He did an incredible job of running the team tonight. He's a great young player. He's going to continue to get better. Coach Brown's putting the ball in his hands, so when you have the ball in your hands you're able to make some decisions. But on the defensive end it's our job to take advantage of that." 

Simmons could get another look at these same matchups in a matter of a few days. The Sixers play the Celtics again on Monday in Boston.